


The Limit Does Not Exist

by PurpleRose244



Category: 3Below (Cartoons), Tales of Arcadia (Cartoons)
Genre: Angst, Because ship, Canon Compliant, Character Study, First Kiss, Getting Together, Hurt/Comfort, I mean the story is still that, Just with Kreamus, Krel is my baby, M/M, Missing Scene, Romance, but he suffers, sorry - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-05
Updated: 2020-07-05
Packaged: 2020-07-31 12:02:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 99,221
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20114788
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PurpleRose244/pseuds/PurpleRose244
Summary: Why everything on Earth was so unnecessary complicated?It was one thing fighting bounty hunters while hiding in disguise on a remote mud ball - matters that had all of his four hands full already - now he was supposed to fix a hopeless ship, foil the plan of an impossibly evil general and, in the meanwhile, get a grip on the absolute mess of a feeling that math blonde had reduced him to?Seklos and Gaylen...(Season 2 but with Kreamus <3)





	1. The moon is too far

**Author's Note:**

> As much as season 2 was absolutely amazing, I still need my ship <3  
I wrote about Seamus from the little we saw about him, and also went with my guts for most of his background. It will be clearer as we go on, just wanted to say nothing is canon :P  
And yes, for the title I googled 'math lines' ^^" I'm not as good as these two...  
Enjoy! ^ ^

That was a bad decision. Not that Krel knew much about it with his superior intellect – eheh right –, it was in fact a peculiar situation. Yet that evening he had failed to connect with his rational side, opting for a less familiar “gut feeling”.

Or just a _feeling_.

No matter how much time had passed on that planet, there was no way he could ever understand how emotional an earthling could get. At this point, he was starting to believe all creatures standing on the mud ball were obligated to be affected by that mess of feelings at some point, him included. Because as soon as a first step was made out of the ship, looking at the familiar neighborhood that they finally managed to reach after dragging Mother, he felt the slightest light coming from the orange and purple sky like a caress. Not night, yet he could still spot it, that stupid reflecting satellite.

Krel sniffed, hugging himself as he walked slowly along the sideway. There was nowhere to go, but there was no point into staying into his room as well, he figured that pretty much the moment he left Varvatos’ logs behind, his conscience lighter but his core heavy. The ship had been silent, the Blanks were off, Zadra was patrolling the neighborhood – how come she still hadn’t spotted him yet? – and Aja was probably chatting with Steve at the phone. In such a wide space around his bed the worst of his thoughts had defined with horrible perfection.

Arcadia was preparing to say goodbye to the morning star, a few shops were getting closed, the lights were on only for teens looking for something to eat and stray animals – even an ugly green one with fake mustaches on? Earth was so weird.

Krel spotted a traffic light, much different from the others, and not wanting he smiled: it was definitely the substitute after Varvatos “punished” the other one for ordering him around. His eyes pinched. A sting made his chest ache. That awful block inside was unbearable, he could feel it even with the rationality of knowing it was just his mind being stupid. All that time spent doing his best to direct all his hate to their guardian and he was out there, trapped with no possibility to come back. Because he would have, he was Varvatos Vex. His duty, or a glorious dea- no_, _not their commander, that would had been ridiculous. Still, he wasn’t there. The fact alone opened the possibility. 

He really hated human emotions.

His feet stopped at the park. It had an unusually attractive vibe without old geysers getting Varvatos’ monologue every day at chess. The green of the vegetation was dark, the drops of water of the leaves shined under the lights. The wind produced a nice soothing sound blowing between the trees, it got him thinking. And the gazebo was enchanting in its simplicity. Right there, he noticed a familiar figure. Athletic physic, freckled face, round nose. Just not with the same enraged face from when he first met him, arms crossed while his dad kept staring at him with the same deadly intent as Varvatos. In fact, even in the dark, his eyes appeared extremely lucid and his entire posture was inclined forward.

Words came on their own, with a filter that never really worked on him.

“That seems like a very uncomfortable position.”

They crossed eyes. How bizarre the feeling of watching someone crying, Krel wasn’t sure it had a name. It was deeply uncomfortable, but a kind of that makes it impossible to ignore. Just like when he saw his sister crying for the first time, the only right answer in his core was to do something, just anything. So he approached him, getting confused at his attempt to wipe away all the liquids from his eyes – that didn’t look like a very efficient drying method.

Seamus grunted, hiding whatever he left on the staircase right next to him. He crossed his arms and yep, there it was, the angry Johnson trademark expression – humans’ genetic was terrifying.

“I’m not in the mood, weirdo.” Ouch. He genuinely thought they were over that.

“I did not intent to pick up a fight…”

“I don’t care why you’re here, leave!”

Krel glared at him. He did not leave his pitiful self-conscious cage of guilt to have just another argument with that guy.

“Well my apologies if I’m invading your personal space, even if it is known this is a public area!” The blonde rolled his eyes. “But you might find out you’re not the only one…! … you know what, forget it. Like I need someone else getting my rant without reason.” Varvatos’ logs kept playing in his head, over and over again. Seamus widened his eyes right when Krel turned to leave, and that stopped him. On Akiridion the inhabitants all shared similar orbits, black with just a different shade of light blue or green. No matter the hierarchy, they were all the same. Here no human had the same precise color of the irises

He had deep blue eyes, like the atmosphere while the morning star irradiated the other side of the mud ball. Fascinating.

“Tarron, wait.” The blonde bit his lip, less on the edge. “You don’t have to leave. Stay if you want, I don’t mind that much.” Well so much for an effort. But somehow Krel appreciated it.

A tiny little robotic voice was telling him he needed to get back to the ship, he was without protection if not for his serrator – a little tech masterpiece he could admit not to be able to use to perfection – while bounty hunters were after them. Another voice, softer and with a distinct accent wanted him to feel better about himself, that he could be just a little reckless for once in his life. And as much as it slightly bothered him that Aja was right, he sighed and took place on the staircase, right next to Seamus. The blonde looked at him with his mouth half open, like he couldn’t believe he actually agreed. Krel couldn’t blame him. He was just tired. And worried. And sad. The amount of human feelings you could feel never ceased to amaze him.

Krel hugged his knees close to his chest, blowing on the grass. It was peaceful here. It was just the two of them. For once, nothing to be worried about. Just their inner problems. Right? He looked at the blonde.

“So… is there a reason behind your unstable mood?” Seamus stared at him with a weird look. “… long awkward silence then? As you wish.” Huh, a laugh. Progress.

Seamus snorted, rolling his eyes. 

“From the little you saw about my family, take a guess.”

“… your father?” The blonde nodded, looking irritated again. Was it really that easy? “I thought everything solved between you when you won the Math Duel.”

A huff.

“I wish. My dad does whatever he wants without asking me what I think. No matter what I do, it will always be wrong for him! I just…!” He clenched his fists, hard, his knuckles turned white. It was almost scary. He sighed heavily. “I kinda envy you, you know.”

Krel blinked.

“Me?” That came out of nowhere.

Seamus cracked a little smile. He was so tense the first time they met, even considering the circumstances. Right now it felt unusual.

“I mean, you have your sister that watches your back, like when she kicked Steve’s butt at the taco truck.” Ah, memories of a flying oaf. “Then there’s your grandpa, so intense, but he looked like a cool man.” Varvatos again, he just couldn’t run from it. “Bet your parents are nice people too. I’m kinda jealous.” He looked tired, a lot. Krel never paid much attention to him during his permanence on this planet, but he might have caught him sometimes sleeping in class. A disrespectful behavior, or the consequence of the pressure by an obnoxious old man?

His throat pinched without warning, Krel swallowed. He shook his head, trying to make it go away. No avail. He was so lucky, was he? He had such a nice family after all, and even in hard times he had a supportive sister and a powerful and wise guardian. He couldn’t be happy with what he already has, now could he? Always pointing out what was wrong, without looking at his privileges. His eyes burnt, like when the Omen was defeated leaving them in the worst situation, with only his sister at comforting him as best as she could.

But she wasn’t here. And even if she was what comfort could she possibly bring to him? That at least they had this planet as a home? Not a bit. Not… a bit.

Krel rubbed his eyes. Two tears escaped his hands, making Seamus gulp. Immediately a hot feeling of embarrassment made his stomach twitch. He saw a wide hand uncertainly reaching him.

“Don’t. Please.” What a pathetic sound. Him, the King-in-waiting of Akiridion-5, pleading a common earthling to avoid any kind of comfort because he was at his limit. He couldn’t let himself break down anymore. He was an engineer, _the_ tech master, the only one with mechanical abilities. Fundamental for their cause.

Seamus retracted his arm, clearly out of place.

“Did I say something wrong?” Krel shook his head but stayed silent, hiding his face into his knees. Not right now. No matter what he needed, this wasn’t it. “… okay… how about this?” He looked up to see half headphone for him. Seamus wasn’t looking directly at his face, in his hand his phone with a track ready to play. It made little sense to him.

“Music?” Seamus nodded. “I don’t see the point in it.”

“You’re a DJ, you should know the benefit of listening to music. It’s therapeutic or something.” That was peculiar, why going to an actual human therapist in the first place? Earth was just full of controversy. “Come on, what do you have to lose?” A good point. Krel sighed, swallowing again and taking it. He scooted a little closer to the blonde, putting the headphone in his ear.

As soon as it started, his chest shined. Like it did when he saw the confused expressions of his crowd turning into the most enthusiastic public he had ever encountered – in his head, even greater than at his coronation day. 

“Were you listening to this before I arrived?” Seamus nodded. “It’s my remix.”

“I know. It’s decent.” Krel pouted. That guy knew nothing. “I recorded it during Battle of the Bands, so it’s not good quality. But I like to put it on, close my eyes and stop thinking for a while.”

“That is virtually impossible.”

Seamus shrugged.

“Just give it a try, man.”

He did. His thoughts were chaotic and upsetting, but when the music got a little louder, they flew away at the speed of light. The black of his vision turned into colors he was sure weren’t real, but it gave him a tight excitement that made him wanna dance in the middle of nowhere. He started to move his shoulders, forgetting his humid cheeks, forgetting he was the prince of a faraway planet running away from an evil general. There was nothing to fear. His fingers moved like they were looking for his keyboard, dying for just another cheer from his crowd. Leaving a mark, being recognized for his talent, having people that liked him for who he w-

“_DANG, HE’S ACTUALLY PRETTY GOOD_!”

“Kleb!!” Krel threw away his headphone, pretty much at the same time as Seamus. The sudden voice went louder even than the music, hitting like a hammer.

The blonde looked in no better condition, holding his head hard.

“Why do I keep forgetting it? That’s what happens when you record a concert talking loud with your phone in your pocket!” They looked at each other. “… yeah… that wasn’t me, of course.” Oh he was red. So red his freckles were disappearing, another interesting organic reaction from humans. And it made Krel laugh. Quietly, almost without voice, but it came from his stomach cleaning up how stagnant sadness and guilt had been for him. He massaged his temples, slowly getting that annoying whistle out of his head.

He grinned.

“So my music is barely decent, huh?”

Seamus rolled his eyes but smiled nonetheless.

“Okay, okay, it was pretty great. I don’t know, maybe after meeting you I expected something else, a little more pragmatic. It was a surprise.” That was indeed leaving a mark! “I’d like to have a copy with good audio, you should distribute that stuff.”

Krel smirked.

“For a good fan of mine, I might arrange.”

“Well aren’t you just full of yourself!” The blonde gave him a joking elbow, snickering a little. Leaving silence right after. “Tarron?… why are _you_ here?”

Krel froze. Such a simple, obvious question, to the point he was amazed it was never said before. It had one natural answer, but to be honest, was that it? Have some air? The Mothership had plenty of oxygen inside. Have a walk? He was currently seated, with no intention to start wondering around Arcadia any longer – also he hated walks. So why, exactly, was he here?

He breathed in, as he let go on his knees so he could look up at the sky. Getting less orange and more purple around, the moon was still there. Following him like it was made for it.

“I’m here… because I don’t know if I can fix this. It’s my thing, you know? Inventing and fixing. It’s what I’m good at. But right now… I don’t even know if there’s something I can work on.” What if there was no hope to save him? “I don’t even know if I’m able to.” What if it was his fault for judging him to harshly? “And if there’s nothing to fix, then what am I supposed to do?” After his betrayal, after his exile, how could things go back to how they were? “I just wanna be useful in my own way, since I can’t help as much as the others. I wanna contribute, but how can I?” The wind whistled between the grass.

Krel found himself breathing better than before. His mind was clean, light, like when he convinced himself to watch Varvatos’ logs. It was so hard letting things out of his core. But at the end, it felt incredibly good. He closed his eyes and smiled.

Then a cough. Warmness caught his cheeks. Oh yeah. Seamus existed.

“I’m not sure I got it…” Seklos and Gaylen, this was why he didn’t like to ‘spill the _peas_’ easily like his sister.

“N-no worries, I was pretty much talking to myself.”

Seamus imitated his position, looking up.

“You know… you don’t have to fix something if it’s broken. Like, can’t you just get a new one?” Krel glared at him like he just cursed. “I mean, uhm, if it can be fixed then you fix it. But if it can’t, you make another one, one that won’t break. A better one, even. Won’t that be nice?” Seamus laughed nervously, scratching the back of his head, his phone still on and still loud next to him. Obviously he was doing his best with what we had. It was clear. So clear.

Krel blinked slowly. Varvatos stopped being their guardian the moment he betrayed their parents. Krel stopped being his protegee when he and Aja exiled him to this planet. But when he almost sacrificed himself for them, risking his life without thinking twice, that was something else. That wasn’t just his duty, or his mission. It was a kind of bond he thought he would only feel with Aja or his parents.

Something new? Something _better_. That didn’t need to be fixed. That it was perfect already.

Krel smiled, turning to a pretty confused and surprised blonde. Maybe, just maybe, talking about their life wasn’t all that bad.

“You know, even for your standards, that was pretty smart.”

How could human eyes shine so much while the sun was decreasing? That blue reminded him a lot of home, how everything was fluorescent and intense. Earth had a completely different light in it.

Seamus cleared his voice, crossing his fingers behind his head.

“W-well, of course! On the card I did beat you at math, so!”

“I hope you are aware that if we had another duel, I would be victorious.”

“Is that a challenge? I won’t pity you with space camp, Tarron. It would be just you and me.”

“You’re on, Johnson.” They smiled at each other.

A tiny dark cloud covered the moon for a moment, hiding it from Arcadia. It was getting late, really late. Krel sighed, knowing he needed a couple of hours of work on the Mothership to be fully sure it was functioning. There was too much work to do, on Mother, about Vex, with Aja – hopefully avoiding Zadra’s anger.

He stood up, taking his eyes off the sky.

“I should probably go home.”

“Yeah, me too.” Seamus imitated him, stretching up. “Though I’m in no hurry to go back to my dad’s scolding, hopefully he fell asleep staring angrily at the door.” He took out a pair of keys from his pocket, with a little keychain shaped like a spaceship. “Need a ride home?” He pointed with his thumb to a black car parked near a closed comic shop.

Krel hummed in thought. That wasn’t exactly his modus operandi, accepting a human’s offer just like that. But thinking about the cold lonely walk back home…

“I would appreciate that.” They walked to the car and he went to open the door. Nothing. He tried again, pulling harder. “Ugh… it… won’t…” He drove a car before, no way that primitive vehicle was gonna outsmart him!

“Oh, sorry, sorry, it’s an old car. Sometimes it gets stuck.” Seamus hurried to his side, holding the handle with both hands and giving a hard push. The car door managed to open, and the blonde smirked, bowing as he widened the entrance. “After you, your majesty.”

Hopefully he was too caught up being silly to notice his jump. Krel swallowed, hurrying inside.

“T-thank you.”

“What was that?” Whoa, he actually had more attention than the Palchuk. “Could it be you don’t like being called like that? Childhood drama or something?” Mm, but he was definitely less quick at analyzing situations – meh, humans were adapting to trolls, Akiridion princes could wait. He occupied the driver seat, turning on the car, lowering the windows just a little.

Krel quickly wore his seatbelt and crossed his arms.

“It’s just quite annoying and bothersome.”

“Oh, I should call you that more often.” The blonde laughed even harder as his passenger pouted. “What? It’s a prestigious title. All I can take from the guys is ‘Seam in Space’… or Shame-us, but that was back before Steve and Pepperjack started to be all buddies. The not-so-good old days, eh.” He wasn’t looking at him, all his attention was on the road. That was one relief at least, his last teen driver wasn’t exactly careful – and yes that was his sister.

Krel hummed, refusing to look out of the window – the moon was getting a little too vivid. Though there wasn’t much to look at inside, just a couple of empty cans of soda under his feet and a few newspapers hanging around.

“So you are friends with Steve?”

“Lately we just go out for lunch or watch some dumb alien movie, but yeah. I guess we are better friends now than before, since our bond used to be mostly founded on… sticking our classmates into lockers.” Seamus tightened his lips together in shame.

Krel frowned. 

“I thought lockers were made for books, not human beings.” Did he hear correctly?

The blonde cringed visibly.

“Well, not for bullies I guess.”

“What is a bully?”

“You’re kidding.”

“I think I heard about that animal, bull-y, so I’m guessing it is the name of a smaller version of it?… why are you laughing?” Seamus shook his head, thought his cheeks were still red. He stopped at a red signal, turning right a moment later, still snickering with his mouth closed.

“Tarron, you talk so mightily and serious I can’t say if you’re joking or not.”

“Why would I joke about that? You used to stick tiny cows into school proprieties, that is deeply concerning! And why are you still laughing??” This guy was so annoying, ignoring him like he didn’t consider him smart enough to understand! Krel was able to invent a barrier projector with advanced tech as a free time activity, a perfectly operating mind-reader in one day and a Daxial Array with junk from a mud planet!

Was it a blonde peculiarity, being irritating?

Seamus stopped the car for a moment, snickering so much it seemed hard for him to keep his hands in check. He breathed deeply, turning to him.

“You are so weird.” Again with that, it was insulting. Kinda. Weird, he was smiling too brightly for it to be offensive. Krel felt a weird pride under it.

“Is… is it so bad being weird?” How come the air was getting hotter? That couldn’t be possible, the windows were down, there was plenty of aeration for the both of them. Night was approaching, the morning star was far away for them. It wasn’t rational. It wasn’t reasonable. Yet Krel forgot about it. His stomach was tingling of an unknown expectation, like he was dying for something that needed to happen.

Seamus stopped smiling. Again, his freckles were gone. He swallowed, blinking rapidly. That blue of his was really something else.

“It is… not… it’s not, no, like, not all the time.”

“Then when?”

“Uhm…” He scratched his heard a little, looking away. Smiling softly by himself. “You know, you… you. You’re weird, but that’s not bad. Not at all.” He cleared his voice, turning on the engine again, entering the road with eyes focused like mad.

Krel felt himself shaking. The tension melted in a beautiful warm right where his core was, unusual for his energy being. It made him smile without knowing, without looking.

“Thanks.” So he failed to notice Seamus’ eyes glaring at him in awe.

“N-no problem.”

Silence. Nice and soothing, for a few meters. Then it hit him.

“Wait, you’re not aware of where I live. Where are we going exactly?” A gulp. No response, just red. On his face, on his ears, could humans ignite and explode? “Johnson? Where are we going?” A shrug, little and very uncomfortable. “… did you forget to ask me when we got in and got too caught up to do it later?”

Seamus held his breath, turning slightly to him.

“… no?” His voice was high pitch.

Finally, it was his turn to mock, ignoring the angry red requests of his driver to stop. His stomach hurt he was laughing so much, Aja’s first date didn’t stand the confront. Why did he even invent a mind-reader? Some humans were so easy to figure out. Finally Krel instructed him to his neighborhood, not as far away as he expected. The house was still quiet, a good sign. Was there a possibility that his little escape went unnoticed?

Krel opened the car door, smiling at the blonde.

“Thanks for the lift… and for the advice.”

Seamus laughed a little.

“Not sure how I helped, but cool. No problem… hey Tarron.” He stopped him before he could go. “I was thinking about that challenge, another Math Duel or something. Is it for real? I mean, I wouldn’t mind, you know, having to… or something else that doesn’t… you know…” Seamus breathed out, scratching his cheek. “The thing is, I never got your… number…”

Krel blinked. For some reason his cheeks burnt before knowing.

“Excuse me?”

“Your number. Phone number, eh. Because asking Steve would be mortifying.” Understandable. “I don’t have a way to contact you, before I didn’t even know where you lived, not that I need that! I…! … dang it… what I’m trying to say is, uhm, I think you’re really cool and I would like to hang out with you sometimes. If you want, if not whatever.” He slapped his face, staying completely still like he was afraid something might explode.

It did, somehow. Krel felt it inside, it made him smile so widely it embarrassed him. Another unfamiliar emotion.

“You think I’m cool?” Seamus nodded without looking. “Me?” Again a nod, quicker. “Wait a sekr, uh, second, is this one of the resident courting ritual?”

Seamus chocked, on what Krel had no idea.

“Courting rit…?! It’s just for fun, what are you talking about??”

“I was merely asking, there is no need to alert the neighborhood with your alarmed voice.” The blonde was still mouth open, staring at him in disbelief. Waiting. It gave him a weird warm feeling. “I’d… like to hang out.”

Pure wonder in his eyes. Seamus’ smile defined slowly on his still reddened face.

“Really?”

“Really. I mean, the only one that ever asked me to hang out was Eli, and I didn’t exactly enjoy the Billycraggle hunt all over the forest. A little too open nature for me.” Let alone the tiny little Zerons’ attack and he and his sister almost getting killed – though it was quite the norm at this point… well he did gain a guitar out of it.

The blonde snickered, looking less on the edge.

“Yeah, I missed the bonfire, but Steve told me it went crazy… even if I can’t tell if he was talking about the party or your sister.” Krel stuck his tongue out in disgust, making him laugh again. “So I guess I’ll see you around?”

Krel nodded, stepping out of the car. It felt almost too cold outside.

“Have a good night, Johnson.”

“Ah, uhm, thanks.” Seamus smiled. “Goodnight Tarron.”

As soon as he closed the door behind him, Krel let go a breath he didn’t know he was holding. His body fell on the sofa, his eyes closed slowly for a few seconds. His chest wasn’t heavy anymore. The thought of Varvatos was still there, but in a less oppressing way. It made him smile. Maybe he did get some good air after all.

“_Welcome back, my royal._”

“Whoa! Mother!” He jumped back on his feet, so unstable he almost tripped. Oh yeah, going out was a bad idea. She knew that, and was going to tell him. Again. And again. And again. An-__

“_Would you like to drink something before going to sleep?_”

“I know that it was stupid, you don’t have to…! Wait what?”

“_A drink, my royal. Dinner time is over and your prolonged absence suggested me you might not be very hungry. But the right Earth beverage with the ideal number of calories should still satisfy you, at least for one night. Something warm perhaps? Even though we are currently experiencing the hot season, night tends to be occasionally chilly._” No Zadra in sight, no Varvatos… but that was obvious. Still, Krel frowned, sitting at the kitchen’s chair, controlling the volume of his voice so Aja wasn’t going to notice him – not after all the times he scolded her about her little “adventures”.

“Mm, yeah, okay.” The coffee machine turned on. “Mother, I already tried the cofefe. It is most definitely not my thing.”

“_Noted. Since the so-called coffee contain a massive concentration of caffeine, an alkaloid whose consumption is indicated to avoid sleep, I opted for a different drink. It does contain the same alkaloid, but in a lower dose and on Earth it is tradition drinking it during difficult nights. Or in waiting for a chubby old man dressed in red. Human culture is as peculiar as always._” The dispensing stopped, the mug smelled warm and sweet.

Krel took it, the color was lighter than cofefe. He took a sip and felt his shoulders falling. It tasted soft and creamy, so sweet it pinched his throat but good nonetheless. He licked his upper lip, feeling a smiling coming up. Was that how childhood on Earth tasted like?

“It’s really good.”

“_They call it hot chocolate, or cocoa. It is often consumed with little sugary cylinders called marshmallows. I will activate the Blanks to provide some in the near future_.” Krel nodded his approval. It embraced all of him, reassure him. There was nothing to fear, he was back to the Mothership. He looked up.

“You knew I was outside?”

“_I am aware of every movements in my house. After your adjustments I am able to detect every intruder and – or presence even with a higher precision._”

Krel gaped, impressed – wow, he was good.

“So when Aja went out with Steve to look for the commander, and then me to look for her?”

“_Detected, it was needed._”

“What about that time we sneaked out under Varvatos’ supervision?”

“_Detected and quite amusing. As well as necessary to assure no agent was after you._”

Of course she would look after them, it was her main duty. And he decided to sneak out just because he couldn’t stay on his own. Krel stared at his drink, guilt rising up again.

“This time… it wasn’t exactly needed.”

“_I have observed you and your anxious permanence in your room for a long time and concluded it was the best course of action. It is the reason I asked Lieutenant Zadra to patrol the other side of the ship, so you could step outside._” That explained a lot, so much for inexistent sneaking abilities. “_Judging from your visible conditions and your mood, it appears to have worked. How are you feeling?_” She appeared digitally, in her visible form, looking at him. Being present for him, for them.

Krel smiled, taking another sip. It was delicious. His eyes fell on the cup, it was blue. Like Seamus’ eyes. Well not exactly, actually not at all. What a random association.

“Better. Thank you, Mother.”

“_You are very welcome, my royal.”_

BONUS

“-Hello, this is the Palchuk, who has now the honor of talking to me?-”

Oh he was so regretting this already. Not only he was doing extra exercises as punishment for sneaking out – dang it for once his dad hadn’t been hypnotized by the business channel –, there was also this. Seamus kept a grunt for himself, holding the phone between shoulder and cheek as he wrote down another formula.

“Hey Steve.”

“-Seam in Space! Oh, it’s been ages, man!-”

“Dude, we see each other every day at school. It’s not long that summer break started.” A hum from the other side. “I sell a newspaper to your mom every Friday?” A confused grunt. “We had a burrito together two days ago! Come on man!”

“-Oh, yeah, you’re right! Eh, sorry, have a lot going on right now with Aja and… stuff.-”

Seamus rolled his eyes, silently cursing as the pencil slipped from his hand and fell on the ground. Hopefully for the math situation he was going to be done in an hour, but not with this question open. It was too distracting, for reason he failed to understand.

“Sure, whatever you say. Listen, I need a favor.”

“-Alright, hit me.-”

“Do you have Tarron’s number?”

“-Why would you want…? Oh no, no no no, don’t even try to pull funny stuff on my girlfriend! I’m warning you, your math power is no match for THE PALCHUK!!!-” Without seeing, Seamus could half guess he was showing up his muscles to no one. “-Aja is _my_ ninja kicking angel, and I will fight for her! Probably _with_ her! You don’t stand a chance!!-” Following some really bad karate shouts impressions, Steve’s mom’s loud ‘Cut it out Steven!!’ quieted the son’s down pretty quickly. Yeah, nothing like a woman’s direction in a house…

He winced. His dad was obsessive with his perfectly sharpened pencils, the tip actually hurt. Seamus went back to the math problem _and_ the phone problem, trying to ignore just another annoying thought to add to his list.

“First of all, calm down. Your lack of taste in karate movies is showing.”

“-Your face’s lack of taste in karate movies is showing!… I think!-”

Good job knucklehead.

“Second, I’m talking about Krel. No one is touching your princess.”

“-How do you know?-”

“What?”

“-How, huh, how _come_ you wanna know? Like, why? Thought you hated his guts since he got the A + form Ms. Janeth… no wait, you actually won that duel, I think Aja mentioned something like that… dude, how did you win against him, you cheated?-”

So regretting this.

“I didn’t!! It’s not important, Steve, focus!!!”

“-Okay, okay, jeez! Look, I don’t even know if I have it, I don’t talk much with that buttsnack. Let me see… mm… K K, where is the K… yep, I don’t have it, I knew it.-” Seamus should had seen it coming. “-Why do you want his number?-”

“Why do you keep asking?? It’s none of your business!”

“-Okay, I’m sorry! Wow… hey, wait, could it be because you have a cru-”

“What the…?! Dad!! What gives??” Seamus felt the phone disappearing from his side, and reappearing in the hand of a very unhappy parent.

A familiar view, so much it failed to give him the same fear it used to. So tall and big, superior and adult, talking to him about his mistakes. Always the same.

“First you give me a hard time for space camp, then you take my car without permission, now this? What part of ‘you have to do these exercises before bed’ you didn’t understand? Since when math works better while slacking off at the phone?? For the last time, you have to take your duties seriously!!” His dad crossed his arms. “And with Steve?! That doofus is the reason why you won with such a narrow margin against that alien of a…!” Red, only red.

Next thing he knew his fist was hurting against the table, his ears were fuming and his dad was giving him the most unbelieving look. Seamus felt himself shaking. It wasn’t the worst scolding he had ever seen. Yet… yet…

“Why can’t you give me a break?? Just a moment, to breath, to talk, to do something!! It’s not that hard, you know??” Without thinking he took the phone from his hand and ran to his room, locking the door behind him. He screamed without opening his mouth, grabbing his head. It was infuriating, he was infuriating. Why couldn’t they talk without arguing against each other? Have a normal conversation, without being judged or conditioned? Or being treated like something, anything, other than a worker?

He waited without knowing why, panting heavily. It was ridiculous. It wasn’t this unbearable before, Seamus just needed to get an A + and everything was supposed to be okay. It wasn’t enough anymore? Because he wasn’t a bully? Because he wasn’t the best?

A knock at his door.

“Seamus… look, I have some work left to do so I need to go back to the office. I’ll be late. If you’re hungry there’s something in the fridge.” A sigh. “Cool it down, son. You probably just had a tough evening or something.” Yeah, right.

Seamus waited, focusing on the steps of his father getting further. Then the door of the house closing. The car leaving the garage and getting on the road. Only then he let out a long breath of relief. His homework was still undone. No matter how momentarily guilty he sounded, tomorrow his dad was definitely going berserk again over his laziness. It needed to be done. But a moment, just a moment he could take. As long as he wasn’t around, he could.

He looked at his hand, clenched around his phone, the cover had fingerprints that slowly disappeared. His first thought was music, he just needed to watch out for his loud recorded voice. But as soon as he unlocked the phone a few notifications appeared.

_ THEPalchuk:  _ I asked Aja

_ THEPalchuk:  _ You’re welcome, buttsnack__

_ Unknown number:  _ Did you forget to ask my number as well as my address?__

_ Unknown number:  _ Quite forgetful for a A + math student

Dang it, it made him smile. Seamus lied down on his bed, registering the new number quickly before focusing on him. From the outside Krel’s house had looked old, like straight out of a classic American movie. He wondered how his room might look like. If he was sitting on his bed or a chair. Did he have music posters? A keyboard? Probably a lot of DJ items.

_ You: _ Well aren’t you so focused, your majesty

_ You: _ Didn’t you forget as well? Right after I told you?

_ Tarron: _ I knew it, being annoying is a blonde thing

So they were playing that game, huh?

_ You _ : First, I’m strawberry blonde, not just any blonde

_ You:  _ Second, we’re talking about Steve? I’m offended

_ Tarron:  _ …

_ Tarron: _ You’re right

_ Tarron:  _ My apologies

“Pff, this guy.” Seamus laughed, relaxing slowly, ignoring what he needed to do. He closed his eyes, sliding towards his pillow. His phone vibrated, twice. He waited a second before checking, an unusual excitement knowing who was sending the messages.

_ Tarron: _ Just to preserve your auditory system 

_ Tarron: _ DJKLEB.mp3

Why was he even touched? Seamus grinned and took out his headphones. His eyes were on his ceiling, where fluorescent stickers of stars and planets had shined in the dark of his room since he was a kid. He relaxed and smirked as the remix played in the best audio he could had imagined – it almost didn’t sound real. His thoughts were gone. His vision filled with colors, blue, fuchsia, black, purple, brown, just like at the concert. But he unconsciously held his breath, imagining the person behind that piece, slowly working on simple sounds until the creation of a symphony. His fingers on the keyboard, his shoulders moving following the rhythm, his eyes bright just like during the Math Duel.

Seamus smiled and dozed off, thinking about a few minutes. He could enjoy himself while his dad was gone. Just for a few minutes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Special thanks to all the people that gave kudos to my other Kreamus fic, "One plus One"! It reached over 100 kudos! AWESOME SAUCE!!! ^ ^ Really, thank you a lot!
> 
> Moving Day is probably one of my favorite episodes of the entire season. I especially loved the logs part with Krel, how Varvatos knew he wasn't adapting too well and he wasn't making any friends. We all knew, but hearing it from someone apparently so war-focused only was amazing. And seeing my baby boy all sad is T-T  
If I noticed Seamus being impressed during Krel's performance while rewatching "Last Night of Earth"? Why of course, and I went all fangirl mode for a couple of minutes with no care in the world ^^" It's not even fanmade, that was actually him looking in amazement at my tech son <3
> 
> Hope you liked the first chapter! And yes, this fic is also an excuse to have some Krel character study ^ ^  
See ya, byee!!
> 
> P.S. If you see some errors let me now, I don't speak English normally and I can always improve!


	2. Call from space

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't believe how many comments and kudos this story is getting! My Kreamus shippers mutuals really do exist <3 Thank you so much for your love, I'm gonna work hard to make this story worthy of it!  
Have some more of these two math dorks!  
Enjoy! ^ ^

How exactly did they traveled through the universe from Akiridion-5 and managed to land on a faraway planet in less than a few horvarths, but was taking them almost an entire delson to arrive on the only satellite orbiting around the abovementioned mud ball?

What a completely idiotic question, Krel was perfectly aware all blame belonged exclusively to the durian piloting that piece of junk he liked to call ship. Because it was one thing preventing them to choose some good music – how did they call that on Earth? Elevator music? It did not elevate the spirit of anyone around there –, or not letting him pilot, but forbiting him to implant at least an optimizer for the fuel capacity because it would “ruin the immaculate beauty of this classic masterpiece” was beyond unreasonable. And there he was, their great pilot, humming to himself like he was driving his old taco truck through the roads of Arcadia.

At least he was here. Who else would accompany them on a rescue mission for a traitor? Certainly not Zadra. Ah, she was going to be so mad…

Krel sighed, stretching on his seat. It wasn’t comfortable the slightest, yet his sister even managed to fall asleep! There she was, her head abandoned on one hand, snoring softly – too bold assuming he got that noisy habit from that loud boyfriend of hers? The prince looked her closer, losing the will to wake her up out of boredom. That wasn’t so bad after all, her catching some sleep: after all it hadn’t been very easy adapting to the new planet, with completely different illumination and environment… and the way they left Akiridion-5. The nights Krel had failed to fall asleep, too distracted by his thoughts and the almost complete darkness of his room, he had heard his sister stepping out of her room and not coming back. For a walk, for a talk with Mother, no way to tell. The important was that now, at least, she looked pleasantly asleep.

He smiled at her, looking outside. Space. Just what he needed as a reminder about their situation, they just couldn’t free themselves from that bound. They were from space. They belonged to space. And with every chance space was coming for them.

“Yah guys haven’t played the ‘I’m bored game’ for a while, are yah okay?” Stuart gave him an eye, while still keeping a solid hand on the wheel. Huh. A better pilot than Varvatos – like that was hard.

Krel turned the chair towards him, shrugging.

“Too bored to even point it out, I guess. And Aja is currently asleep.”

“Ah, sleeping beauty, waiting for a prince to save her!”

“… I’m right here. And I’m positive she would rescue herself with no problem no matter the calamity.” Stuart shook his head, a little tic apparently from whenever one of them misunderstood an earthling common verb. “Is there really nothing to do here? Something to fix, to play with, anything at all? At least allow me to change the mu- Ouch!”

Slapped away again.

“I said it before, now did I? My ship, my rules! Although, if yah really can’t think of anything better than patronizing my darling, I think I have just what yah need. I took it from the store before coming for yah.” Stuart activated the autopilot and turned around, hitting a precise compartment of the ship. There was a box, and in it some kind of phone. All black, with a big fancy cornet right on top and the numbers disposed in a circle. 

The durian blew on it and a cloud of dust hit the prince right in his face. Krel started to cough violently, waving with all of his hands.

“W-what is this piece of junk??”

“Yah know, your lack of faith in my tools is really hurtful! This model used to be the equivalent of an ultra-modern cellphone back in the days! Now each one is… completely useless and unsellable…” Stuart sniffed twice.

Krel frowned, looking closer. It looked familiar.

“It appears rather similar to the one needed to open that secret chamber in your store.” Before the famous and so loved by the durian ‘Arcadian Job’.

Stuart winked at him.

“Looks like it, huh? I usually customize the look of my most technological tools like this. That one you saw was an unlocking device, this is a communicator. Humans tend to be really easy to fool sometimes, yah just gotta show them what they don’t care about!” He laughed a little, cleaning clumsily the rest of the dust from the device. “At your service. Maybe it’s not strong enough to reach Akiridion-5, but for a quick phone call to know if your cousin on Durio finally asked his mate out…” He snickered and took the cornet, revealing an actually pretty advanced looking panel.

After clearing his throat Krel got closer, widening impressed his eyes. Sometimes it was hard to remember, but Stuart was kind of an expert at hiding. Escaping Area 49-B and staying hidden on Earth for thirty keltons was no ordinary thing.

“Is it possible that someone might track us?”

“Pff, who are yah talking to? This is not like the intergalactic walkie-talkie Lieutenant Zadra used to contact Vexy. Unlike them, I was trying not to get caught.” Stuart took all the phone and placed it on a free spot on the control panel. A little note slipped from underneath; the durian managed to get it before it touched the floor. He took a look and all of his four eyes shined. “O-M-Gorbon, I can’t believe I still have my prank list!”

Krel furrowed his eyebrow.

“Your what?”

“Yah know, prank list. When yah wanna prank someone at the phone, I took it to remember certain…” Stuart went stiff seeing the prince’s confused expression. “No way, yah never phone pranked anyone in your life? The injustice! We’re going to fix that, pronto!” He went through the list and nodded to himself. Too fast for Krel to put together the pieces – why would someone prank a telephone? Did Stuart have phones as friends? Why they were talking about fixing when the communicator looked sufficiently well-kept, even if not completely clean?

“Stuart, I have no idea what is happening.”

“It’s hilariously easy, really. Basically, yah call someone on the phone, tell him a joke to prank him, and when they got it yah just interrupt the communication! I can’t believe yah never done it before!”

“We’re still catching up with Earth’s culture, it’s not long since we landed…”

“Sure, it used to be quite the tradition when I first arrived on Earth, but I had my fair share even on Durio, so no excuse to be so unaccultured! Why do yah think I keep all of my communications secured? Lil old me used to go a little heavy on the pranks…” That explained a lot. “But here we’re going with a safe classic! Just watch me. Ah, the number of my old teacher! Used to call me squirt because I wasn’t as tall as my stinky classmates. Oh this is fun!” He dialed by putting his finger on a number and tracing a circle. It was kinda interesting to watch that device in action, especially on an evolutional level. Humans went from that senseless circular digit disposition, to numbers ordered in a more compact form, to screens with no buttons at all. On Akiridion they had reached a stable technological condition many keltons ago; here, everything was still changing, getting more and more functional. Adapting slowly.

… it was pathetic, really. But kind of fascinating as well.

The phone ringed, Stuart looked so excited Krel was praying the great Gaylen that feeling wasn’t going to transform into gas – aeration in space was quite bothersome. The ring stopped.

“-Hello?-”

Stuart snickered quietly.

“H-hey there, is your refrigerator running?” Silence from the other side.

“-… Seriously?-”

“Then yah better go catch it!!” Stuart slammed the cornet on the device and laughed hard, luckily wheezing in his own theatric way so no lousy noise was going to wake up Aja. He shook his head, wiping away an imaginary tear. “Never gets old, ah! So good! Take that Ms. Romatoes!” Krel frowned, looking at the phone, then back at the durian. Stuart took a long breath to calm down before talking. “Yah know, a refrigerator. It’s a machine, it works with electricity. It _runs_.”

“True.”

“But running is also for, like, walking fast?”

“Yes, I agree.”

“Then there yah go!”

There was something extremely irritating into a so obviously inferior mind challenging him into understanding a concept _clearly_ too abstract to get. Krel shook his head.

“But if you intended energy the first time, why did you change? Isn’t that extremely confusing?”

“Never mind. Mm, maybe we should try something else. A little less literal.” And there he went ignoring him like he was dumb, that was even more annoying! “Would yah look at that, I also have numbers for Earth here, I almost forgot about these! Humans’ digits look neat actually. Neater than on Durio, but what isn’t?” Fair enough. “Alright, I think this was my neighbor in El Paso, always complaining about the noise while he was shouting at three of the morning! No respect for my beauty sleep!”

Krel actually giggled.

“You sure know how to hold a grudge.”

“I call it justice, my little prince. Here goes!” Again the ring, again the durian looked close to let them swim into his intestinal flatulence. “Hello, is this Mr. Moya?”

“-Yes, who am I talking to?-”

A snort.

“Your cat is in my garage!”

“-What? I don’t have a cat.-”

“Well I don’t have a garage!” And he put back the cornet on the device, with the same unnecessary emphasis Krel only saw with Steve during basketball practice – at least not with the same self-narrated situation, like the public’s eyeballs had disappeared all of the sudden. “One of my all-time favorites! It’s old school, yeah, but a classic is a classic for a reason!” Still didn’t make sense to him. Luckily today Stuart was extraordinary observant of his lost glares. “There’s really nothing to see in it. He doesn’t have a cat, so I don’t have a garage.”

“But you just said you did. You lied?”

“No, I…! Alright, let’s try this.” One sekton later Krel had the cornet in his hand, while the durian was already dialing. “My first and only assistant when I opened Stuart Electronics, left him alone for a day and came back with a party and pieces of bacon stuck on the walls. Still no idea how he fitted so many people in there! Anyway, do whatever yah want, have fun! No directions!”

Krel gaped, completely taken off guard. 

“Are you a soolian?? I’m not Aja, I like instructions!”

“Too late, buckle up!”

“There are no seatbelts here, Stuart!!” Only three rings later and somebody was already picking up. “Uh, uhh… hello? Uhm, is this the assistant residence? I am… uh this doesn’t make a flexel of sense… I guess I’m Flex then?” Krel shrugged at Stuart, who was actually watching with an amused face. An overwhelmed tech wiz was probably an interesting show.

“-Assistant? What are you… oh, I knew it! This is what you do while I’m not home! Hank!-”

The two extraterrestrials exchanged confused glared, as another voice was added to the conversation.

“-What are you talking abo…? Hold on, is that my phone?-”

“-Answer the question! You like to ‘assist’ other people when I’m hanging out with my friends, huh? I knew you had an affair with someone from a rival school, you cheater!!-”

“-Oh come on, you can’t be serious! Who called, Mary?-” Wait, his sister’s friend? “-She’s just a friend, I, huh, used to give her English lessons.-”

“-Who is this??-”

Krel looked at Stuart, who seemed a little less ecstatic and a little more speechless. Was he supposed to repeat the made-up name? How to explain that he was not one of Aja’s lousy human friends that was apparently in the same relationship with the Hank in question along with the girl at the phone? Where human relationships supposed to be that complex? He thought it was just a matter of kicking faces in front of taco tracks.

“Uhm, uh, I just wanted to ask if… if… your refrigerator is in the garage?”

Silence.

Curiously, the sound of the girl furious break down came before the actual voice. Sounding like the explosion of an overcharged serrator.

“-THEN WHO IS MARY??? TIGHt JEANS HANK YOU BETTER GIVE ME AN EXPLAINATION RIGHT NOW, OR ELSE!!!-”

“-NO BABY THOSE ARE MY MOM’S DISH-”

The call ended right there. The prince and the durian looked at each other, completely emotionless, the same tedious music playing behind them. Then they both started to laugh, doing their best to keep it down at minimum. But Stuart was having the hardest time, falling back to his chair and holding his stomach.

“Ah, I love drama! Better than the telenovelas I used to watch back in Mexico! They love their sitcoms, I’ll tell yah that.”

Krel finally managed to calm down, looking at the cornet. He decided to ignore some secondary info – how could a com being on a seat, it was a domain from the inter-net of the humans – and he frowned a little, trying to smile.

“That sounded rather serious though.”

“If they fell like that it probably wasn’t that much of a relationship… what? I’ve been on Earth long enough, I know how this goes! No other reason!” The durian crossed his arms, offended by the dubious look on the other’s face. “Fine, how about this number? It’s one of the worsts, so we need to go big! Used to be my superior back when I worked as the notary of a growing business. Ugh, so bossy and arrogant! Let alone super offensive, always pointing at me whenever something stink.” He slowly touched every number, like he was tasting every single one.

That was worrisome. But they were on an old ship slowly moving towards an assured difficult mission to rescue their friend. They were stuck there, far away from their problems, moderately moving towards another one. There was time to let lose, a little.

Krel sighed and took the phone, nodding.

“Please tell me this is not a teen-ager.”

“Nah, last time I pranked him it was fifteen years ago, and he was in his thirties. Been a while. Man, this is exciting! Go for it!” He dialed the last number and started to excitedly move up and down from his seat. The ring this time took a while, it seemed like no one was around to answer. Then it stopped, catching them off guard.

“-Mr. Johnson’s phone, I’m Seamus, the devil’s son. Who is it?-”

But not as much as the prince himself, left mouth-opened. That couldn’t be true, come on. In a traditional American city located northeast from one of the most populated of the entire continent, filled with Akiridians and trolls and Seklos knew what other weirdness just hanging around, he just had happened to call him. No wait, not him, his _dad_. That was even better.

Words were stuck in his throat. He looked at Stuart for help, who didn’t look like he knew what was going on – where did the attention of two mekrons ago go??

“Yah okay, Krel?”

“No, no, don’t…!!”

“-What? Tarron? Is that you?-” He distanced the cornet from himself with one hand and slapped other two on the durian’s mouth, waiting, shame and embarrassment making him see stars. “-Come on man, I heard your voice. You can’t fool anyone with that accent of yours, your majesty. How do you have my dad’s phone number?-” That math blonde, he had every intention of keep using that nickname apparently. Krel sighed in defeat, letting go of Stuart who looked dumbfounded, if not intrigued by the situation.

For whatever reason.

“… I don’t. It wasn’t my idea, but my… uncle, Stuart.” All four of the durian’s eyes shined with glee, Krel rolled his eyes. “He was trying to show me an unusual costume called ‘prank calls’… I did not expect to find your dad in his prank list.” What was that planet? Never in his life on Akiridion-5 did he find himself in such an uncomfortable situation.

But hearing a laugh made him feel unusually better.

“-I did. I mean, it was bound to happen. Sorry about ruining your fun, we got into another argument and I switched my phone with his as revenge. I was actually going to prank his colleagues.-”

Stuart snorted.

“I like this guy already.”

“-Where are you? It shows anonymous number here.-”

“It’s Stuart’s phone, he likes privacy. We’re, huh… going on a trip to see a friend. It’s been several days since we last saw him, there is nothing conspicuous into paying a little visit and, how do you say, kill some space together!” Using humans’ slang was like talking in a completely different language, it made no sense whatsoever yet it kinda managed to sound okay. Or maybe not. Hard to tell, on one hand Stuart was shaking his head again, but on the other the phone giggled. The sound was a little raspy – old looking phone, probably old communicator as well.

“-I think you meant kill the time?-”

“Not where we are going, I’m not.”

“-Where are you going then? To the moon?-”

“Ah, ahah, nice joke… we’re going to… a planetarium? Uh, a bigger one than in Arcadia, in a totally real city!” It was the best he could think of, and it was rather sad for him. Why couldn’t he be as brilliant as he was with technologies with social interactions? It felt too unreal. He was at the phone for some kind of galactical coincidence, talking to him while travelling through space, still in his Akiridian form without him knowing.

It almost felt forbitten. His fingers were shaking a little.

Seamus whistled at the phone.

“-Lucky you, I’ve been on Arcadia’s planetarium so many times it makes me sleepy. Their best new attraction is a poster asking if Pluto is a planet or not, I need something that doesn’t smell like star dust!-” Because dust was on old things, and it also existed as extraterrestrial in outer space… Krel smiled to himself, a little victory for word association. “-Wanna know some trivia? I’m an honorary cadet at the space camp, no one knows this galaxy better than Seamus Johnson! Though you probably don’t need help, having the brain you have…” There was a sound on the background, something being dragged around. Some cleaning tool maybe? Krel was failing to concentrate, he just liked too much when people recognized his genius. The voice filtered by the communicator didn’t sound too bad after all. Almost pleasant. How unusual.

Stuart was smirking in a really uncharacteristic way. He just winked at the prince with two of his four eyes and went back to the controls, humming to himself. That durian was absolutely unexplainable sometimes. Krel shrugged it off, dragging his chair so he could sit down and hear.

“I actually never got too interested into the astronomy branch, especially here.”

“-No way, first math, then this? I’m beating your intellectual butt without even trying!-”

“We really need to fix this misconception of yours, as soon as possible.” A little laugh from the other side. “Speaking of the intergalactic camp, when will it start? I honestly assumed you were going to be absent for most of the summer season already.” The dragging sound stopped, and so that nice amused sound. “Johnson?” Again that horrible feeling, such a distressing companion of his. The intense and uncomfortable realization of having said the wrong thing.

Silence followed. A long and concerning one.

“-… I’m not going. Don’t ask why, I don’t wanna explode while I’m cleaning his calculators’ collection.-” Something fell and break, the sound echoed to the phone and the blonde let out a frustrated scream. “-Great, just great. His Excalibur model just made a fateful jump. Dad’s gonna be mad, like that’s new…-”

Krel frowned, worried. How often were humans predisposed to argue with each other?

“Are you in need of discussion over the matter?”

“-I won’t bother you with my problems during your trip. I’m sure you’ve got better things to do.-” That sounded so wrong the prince didn’t know how to address it. That was not his peculiarity, Aja was the empathetic one between the two of them. She knew what the others needed, she didn’t have to insist to make people like her. As much as the different effect they had on humans bothered him, he would had liked to know what to say, just like her.

“… quite the opposite, it is a very long travel and I wouldn’t mind some auditory company. Aja is asleep, Stuart is driving, I’m the only one inactive on this… vehicle.” Krel looked at the satellite. Now that they were going for the rescue, it didn’t look as menacing as before. Not at all. “You talked about trivia, right? Do you have some notions about the moon?” Talking about tech and inventions always distracted him, maybe it had something to do with the so called ‘passions’? He didn’t know if the same method would work on hi-

A snort. Surprisingly, for once, he hit the target.

“-Be a little more vague, why dontcha.-”

“Don… cha? Should I question about the Milky Way instead?”

“-No, Tarron, come on! You’re asking about the very own Earth’s satellite, just thinking about the scientific part makes it for an entire semester of Ms. Janeth’s lessons.-” His tone lightened up, it hit him how passionate his voice could get. “-_But_, to answer your question, I’m pretty confident I know everything about the moon. Any particular questions?-” There was a shuffling sound on the background, like he was looking for something with not much attention.

Krel hummed, taking the rest of the phone and placing it on his legs. He gave himself a little push and started to spin on his chair, looking down so it didn’t give him a headache. That felt nice, letting himself go with the movement.

“One, I think. What is there to know that is not scientific?” Nothing relevant, probably.

“-Well, legends and myths. Religions, cults, magic even. Or just believes. Less pragmatic and accurate, but still kinda meaningful. And really, after Battle of the Bands I’m having my rethought on the matter.-” Something opened, a can with every chance, fizzing softly. “-Like, for example, the army of deadly monsters that erupted from the ground of Arcadia the first day of summer sounds less believable than… I don’t know, the moon’s surface been made out of cheese.-”

“… now I have more than one.”

“-You don’t even know that one? That’s it, one of these days you’ll have the honor of being educated on astronomy by a handsome and brilliant future astronaut, be grateful!-” He took a sip of whatever he opened, sighing in satisfaction.

Krel rolled his eyes, smirking. Finally something to do on that ship.

“Isn’t that delightful. Who happens to be this person I never had the pleasure to meet before?”

“-I have no idea how you manage to insult while sounding so elegant… I mean snooty! That’s the word, snooty.-” Now the fizz was the only sound from the phone. “-D-did you know there are two golf balls on the moon? That’s a thing, eh.-” A smacking sound on the background. Did he just hit himself again? Apparently it was a thing on that planet, injuring facial features in response to an inner uneasiness. Maybe Krel was supposed to do it as well? His face felt so sensible and warm, his mind was taking his time to focus.

It almost glowed. It _was_ actually glowing. He looked at his reflection on the window, eyes wide open. His cheeks were shining of a soft blue light, soothing, calm. Krel shook his head, trying to calm down. Was that supposed to happen? Did he get some Earth virus, the “blush” he noticed many times affecting other humans?

Stop, _stop_. And think, _think_, what was the theme of the conversation again?

“I, huh, I wasn’t aware of that. Are there any other terrestrial items on this moon?”

Seamus cleared his voice, regaining his confidence. Good question, thankfully. The glow faded a little, making him sigh in relief.

“-Well, of course. When astronauts first arrived on the moon, they wanted to leave something that showed their presence. They wanted to leave a mark.-” Krel couldn’t help but smile. “-Just during the Apollo 11 they left a hundred of things!-”

“Why earthlings would go trashing another dumb heap?”

A laugh. Huh. Maybe it wasn’t the communicator alone that was pleasant to hear.

“-Eh, you’re not wrong. But besides questionable junk there is stuff like medals, stemmas, messages of peace and even a photo of one of the astronaut’s family. If I were to go on a faraway land with little possibility to come back, I’d like to bring something meaningful with me too.-” That made almost too much sense, thinking about Earth. On Akiridion-5 going in space was like walking in a humans’ park, easy, normal. Instead humans took ages to access at least to their satellite, and it still cost the life of many – if the 11 of the ‘Apollo’ was an indicator.

Krel leaned on the back of the chair, closing his eyes. Every planet had its own battles, each of them was in need to sacrifices.

“I guess I can understand that.”

“-Oh yeah, you come from somewhere far too. Was it… Cantalapa or something?-”

He smiled. It was such a silly name, Mother and her data dissemination program probably had something to do with their still alive anonymity – or maybe humans were just as dumb as they looked.

“It’s Cantaloupia.”

“-That one, yeah. Hard to imagine how it is, you and your sister look so different.-”

Krel huffed, annoyed.

“We both have two arms, two legs, two eyes and many other common features that you possess as well. Without forgetting that we have the same parents, and come from the same place. Where exactly is the difference?” That question was as annoying as he first heard it from Eli. Humans were all the same at his eyes: more-evolved-than-he-thought amoebas. Why raising so many classifications and labels around them was beyond him.

There was silence for a moment.

“-You really are better.-” It was so random and flattering Krel didn’t dare asking. “-So how’s Cantaloupia? The only thing I know is that it’s an island.-” There was an unusual tenderness in his voice now, like he was genuinely interested. In _him_.

Krel swallowed. They had something prepared for occasion like this, fake data, a believable story – just to avoid exercising their improvising skills with Se ñ or Uhl again. But it didn’t feel right. He could be sincere, as long as it didn’t sound suspicious. Right?

“It’s… full of light. Everywhere, all the time, to show us that it’s alive. That it will never die. But at the same time it’s cold. Not to a deadly extent, I actually like it that way. Well organized. Pragmatic. Technological.” Bizarre. Thinking about the astronauts leaving garbage on their satellite, it made him think it would had been nice having something to remind him of home. The royal marker was left untouched since Aja officially became Queen-in-waiting. And that just made him think about their parents.

Seamus hummed thoughtfully.

“-That’s different from what I had in mind.-” Krel held his breath. “-No wonder you became so good with numbers, it’s pretty much where you came from. _Cool_.-” It was summer so that was not an adjective for the weather. It got him to breath in relief. “-Is it far?-”

“You wouldn’t believe.”

“-Away from here, based on numbers, sounds like my kind of place! Eh, if I ever happen to go there you should show me around. Bet two geniuses would have a blast in a island like that.-” Them experiencing the most logical part of Akiridion-5, working side by side of a complicate equation capable of reprogramming an entire spaceship route. What a weird supposition. Krel was already a pro, he had given his mechanical support to the Akiridian flight many times.

A great honor, reserved to few. Very few. No one his age… for some reason he saw nothing wrong with that blonde’s assertion after all. _Just for imagining_. It made him smile.

“That sounds intriguing… who is the genius apart from me?”

“-Oh, you’re being funny again!… do you miss it?-”

Krel sighed, looking at the space outside. Stars and celestial corpses shining from thousands of lightyears of distance. Moving ever so slightly, too far for him to notice.

“All the time.” He looked at his serrator, frowning. “You know, sometimes I dream about the day we were forced to leave.” His core felt lighter. Oh yeah. He never told anyone about that. “And I feel like I could’ve done something to prevent it. Maybe if I didn’t lose time there, or I was better here, then everything might have come out differently.” A sad laugh made his lips shake. “Such a naïve kind of thought.”

“-What happened there?-”

Too much, clearly. Why stopping felt so heavy?

“I’d rather not to talk about it.”

“-That’s okay. Hey, it’s pretty normal wishing things went differently, it’s totally human.-” Kleb, if only he knew. “-Trust me, I know how that feels like. All I can say is that you should just think about the good parts. You know, the pros.-” Unusual how they both recurred to the same methods, while belonging to two different planets. True, it could had been worse. He could had been alone on that dumb heap, surrounded by the worst of the human species – like those soolians from Area 49-B –, demotivated and squashed by the situation with no one to rely on.

But he wasn’t. That was good enough.

Krel smiled.

“That is true.”

“-Of course it is, I’m the smartest here.-” That guy was definitely friend with the Palchuk. “-Oh, you can add meeting your fateful rival to the pro list!-”

“You mean being acquainted to the guy that questioned my intelligence, recurred to his inflexible dad to face me and forced me into a challenge?”

“-… you’re too kind.-”

“I did not intend that a-”

“-Dude, you’ve gotta learn sarcasm!-” A grunt. “-I think I heard my dad’s car, guess he found out about his phone. I wonder if I have time to mess up his alarms… anyway, I gotta scram. Next time we should go together to that planetarium.-” Having him around to explore sounded nicer than facing a bunch of bounty hunters to save their commander. “-Or somewhere else, really. At least we could take some photos, I need to put something as an avatar next to your number. I hate blank spaces!-” Ah yes, Toby educated him into the world of cellphone calling. Apparently collocating pictures next to the number’s name was a common action for humans. Maybe they were that forgetful about their acquaintances’ faces? Having a photo of Seamus didn’t seem so bad

Kinda nice actual- Wait, no, that made no sense whatsoever.

The prince shook his head, pushing away those weird ideas.

“Huh, very well. I’ll make sure to warn you about my forthcoming free time.”

“-Eh, cool… can’t wait, Tarron.-” The phone call ended.

Krel felt his cheeks glowing again. How was it possible to feel so invested into something that didn’t happen yet? He put the phone back to the box, caressing the cornet without knowing why. He could call him with his phone next time. Just like any other human guy.

It didn’t sound so bad.

“… what are you looking at, Stuart?” How could durian eyes get stuck on him more than his smell? Hopefully the glow wasn’t too evident.

Stuart giggled, shrugging innocently as he kept piloting.

“I just can’t believe Johnson senior has a successor. If that guy managed to have a son, maybe good old Stuart got out of the market too soon.” No use asking, it sounded rather creepy. “He used to argue with his wife all the time at the phone, while still working. How’s that fair?… not that I care about those kinds of things, eh.” He sighed, looking tense, keeping his eyes on the controls.

Stuart’s love life wasn’t the first thing that came into Krel’s mind, really. His other words were more meaningful, instead. Seamus’ mom. Krel leaned his cheek on his fist, elbow on the shelf. Thinking about it, the blonde talked bad about his dad a lot, but he never said anything about a mother. Was it a secret? Was it personal? Krel could understand if it was. After all, he was keeping from most of humans that he was Akiridian; but only to prevent the army of a dictator to come and destroy them all. What was his reason? Jim, Toby and Claire had kept the Trollhunters situation for themselves, maybe something like that? Or perhaps just a little less lethal and a lot more connected to his human normal life as a teen-ager of Arcadia?

… why not knowing was bothering him?

His eyes wondered boringly to the window once again, and stopped, widening in amazement. This galaxy’s star, the sun, was slowly emerging from the Earth like the shiniest light he had ever seen. Bright, warm, hopeful. Like there was nothing to fear, nothing to be worried about. A smile took form instinctively on his face.

He looked at Aja, still asleep. She wasn’t a heavy sleeper, with just one little push two of her arms were already extending to stretch.

“If you’re waking me up, we better be there.”

Krel beamed at her, pointing at the window.

“Come on, you’re gonna wanna see this!”

His sister opened tiredly her eyes and immediately gasped, smiling in adoration. Just as he thought, every single aspect of Earth could fill her with absolute adoration. Unlike him, she never found trouble finding beauty into this planet.

“Lively.”

“You know.” As for him… “For a dumb heap, it’s really quite beautiful.”

He was just starting to see it.

BONUS

“Now, I’m not gonna say I told you, that would be rude.” Logan tossed the empty bag of popcorn in the dumpster, silently cheering as it got right into it. “But I mean… come on.”

“What are you talking about? That was great.” Seamus tried to imitate him, only to hit the border and see his garbage falling down. He grunted and went to pick it up, throwing it away. “Not movie of the year, okay, but still. We get aliens coming to Earth instead of the other way around, how cool is that?” It was getting chilly these days, he should had brought a jacket. The conditioner in the theatre had his arms turn into popsicles already, he wasn’t going to survive if their next destination was the arcade.

Logan rolled his eyes, stuffing his hands into a big red sweater. He was prepared for an evening like this, of course. Everything in order to rub it in his face.

“Please, I’ve seen at least three movies with Earth as this horrible and remote planet avoided by every sentient being. Dude, we got fries in our burritos! What alien wouldn’t want to come here just to have a taste of California?” He sipped loudly from his drink, insisting though it was clearly empty and he was sucking nothing but air. A couple of girls walking in front of the park gave him an annoyed look.

Seamus sighed. Just the kind of intellectual discussion he expected.

“At least for once it was the nerd that saved the day.”

“Aww, don’t be butthurt, you know you’re essential for our zombie apocalypse team!” A big skeptic eyebrow was raised. “What? Of course we have one! Steve is the strong one, you’re the smart one, I’m the good looking one…” A snort. “I’ll pretend I didn’t hear that. As for the first one that dies I guess… Eli?” Another laugh.

“I don’t know man, I think Pepperjack won a few places recently.”

Logan hummed thoughtfully.

“Oh yeah. So who?”

“Zombies won’t care you’re handsome.” The blonde got hit by the other’s elbow, laughing. “… ah, dang it.” Not even a second after he turned on his phone and his notifications were already screaming at him. Two digits number, all from the same ID. “Any chance there’s a movie marathon lasting for the rest of my life?” Logan smiled sympathetically at him. “Ugh, he’s just unbearable these days. Can I stop by your house for the night? Just so he can cool down.”

“Sure man, just let me call my mom.” Logan took out his phone, turning it on as well. They were just a few steps from the theatre, it was a busy but relaxed hour. The cafeteria was full, a group of teens were coming out of the music store. Everything was moving with all due time.

Seamus leaned against the wall, trying to concentrate on today. All the frustration could wait until tomorrow. For now there was a nice dinner waiting at his friend’s house, a quick review over his latest alien movie discover, and pretty much a full night of videogames and cheese nachos stole from Logan’s sister’s secret stock – from whenever she got shot down and was in need of snacks with her soaps.

He looked at the screen again. Hiding under his dad’s numerous calls, the notification of a game he wasn’t interested in anymore and the usual memo for an upgrade, there was a message.

_ Tarron _ : Do you prefer having your neck captured or the blood circulation of your wrist to stop?

There was something unusually coherent with that. Somehow that guy just couldn’t appear normal no matter how much he tried. Unusually, Seamus didn’t mind it.

_ You _ : I’m sure this has a meaning in your head

_ You _ : But you’re gonna have to explain

_ Tarron _ : Wait a sek

_ Tarron _ : Alright, allow me to rephrase

_ Tarron _ : Are you a guy that prefers lacing his neck or letting his brace?

Oh. That almost made half sense.

“Alright, no problem, but we have to come back now. My room is ‘reflecting my indiscipline and necessity to hide problems that are in need to be solved’… so I have to clean it.” Logan grunted. “I swear I’m gonna burn that psychology manual as soon as she’s not looking.”

Seamus raised an eyebrow at him.

“Isn’t that from the library?”

“Might as well save some other poor unaware son. Come on.” His friend pointed two fingers to his temple, then towards the road, starting to walk. Seamus followed right behind him, making sure there was nothing to bump into before going back to his phone

_ You _ : Oh, necklaces or bracelets

_ You _ : Bracelets probably

_ You _ : Why?

_ Tarron _ : During our trip to the far away planetarium I retrieved a piece of moon

_ Tarron _ : As it now possesses a pretty raw and unpleasant shape, I wish to arrange it into a more gracious and carriable form. Teen agers apparently appreciate these kinds of accessories

Seamus snickered. What was this guy? He couldn’t even retort something about him being a common teenager as well, because he was everything but ordinary. Were all his acquaintances on Cantaloupia as eloquent as him? Probably as smart, and unusual. The kind of company that was the norm back home. Someone… better than him.

He almost tripped on a newspaper left on the ground, with a kick it was out of the way. He took a breath and proceeded.

_ You _ : Thanks

_ You _ : But it’s probably a fake, souvenirs tend to be

_ You _ : They just want you to buy a space rock

_ Tarron _ : I can assure you, the origin is confirmed

_ Tarron _ : I made sure myself

Like that was true.

_ Tarron _ : Though as a future astronaut, I’m confident you will find it one yourself

He actually believed him. Seamus shook his head, laughing to himself. That Latino math genius was the only one that didn’t laugh to his face at that old unforgotten dream. The accounting section his dad was preparing him to sounded way less exciting, but at least it was a stable job. It was better for his future… to be just like him.

Seamus stopped for a moment. Everything was getting so hard to reach recently, a step, a day, a night without feeling stressed. Dreaming was just another way to cope. _Just for imagining_.

He bit his lip before typing, a weird excitement guiding his fingers.

_ You _ : I’ll give you a Mars rock in exchange, then

_ You _ : One day

_ Tarron _ : Are you that eager of facing the boiling point of every liquid of your body?

_ Tarron _ : You are one careless teen ager, Johnson

A door was opened.

“Alright, I smell chicken, all goes according to plan. And if we don’t mess this up, we might get some sweet potato pie for dessert! Let’s just hope Tanya hasn’t already cleaned the way… hey, what’s with the smirk? Who are you texting?”

Seamus shrugged, without looking up.

“Tarron.”

“Dude, Steve’s gonna be mad…”

“What? No, not Aja, her brother.”

Logano blinked.

“The weirdo? You’re friends with _him_?”

“He’s smarter than you, doofus.” A shrug, no way to retort that. “And… I guess we’re just in touch. He’s cool.” That was the sincerest retort he could think of. It was true, it didn’t exactly sound like they were friends. Friends were him and Logan. Steve and Pepperjack. Lake and Domzalski. He was his math rival he learnt to appreciate and could talk too without fearing to be judged for being too nerdy. Like a friend, but… not…

Four new messages.

He froze. Logan widened the door’s opening.

“Whatever, it’s not my business anyway. You’re coming?… Seamus?”

“Huh? Oh, yeah.” The blonde quickly entered, avoiding the other’s eyes because Logan could get too insistent sometimes. He didn’t want to make sense to him why he was smiling so widely without being able to control it. The air definitely smelled like fried chicken, it was delicious and mesmerizing but he didn’t feel like forgetting all about tomorrow.

_ Tarron _ : Steve and Eli requested to come tomorrow to our house, it is a hot summer and they would like to have the access to the pool. Their friends will join so you are needed to raise the intelligence quotient of the group

_ Tarron _ : It might turn out to be too much of a challenge on my own

_ Tarron _ : …

_ Tarron _ : And I’d like you to come

Maybe he was looking forward to it. Just a little.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again, people! Here comes another chapter! ^ ^
> 
> Nothing personal about Mary's (ex?) boyfriend, it was just kinda convenient having a known name from Trollhunters like Tight Jeans Hank ^^" Also if you wanna know the movie they went watching is "Escape From Planet Earth", I watched it on Netflix. I liked it more than I imagined, not my favorite but good enough :)  
Seamus wanted to go to space camp, so I'm pretty sure he's a space nerd or simply really into astronomy. This fact is simply the best for my ship <3 Also Logan is the black guy usually hanging out with Steve of Seamus. I'm telling this because he never talks in the show so I failed to recognize him at first ^^"
> 
> Krel looking absolutely enchanted by the dawn in space had me with heart shaped eyes, my favorite part of this episode <3 And as you can probably guess, I'm gonna talk about my Seamus' mom headcanon pretty soon!
> 
> Thanks for reading! Leave a comment, a kudos, a wink or a FEEBLE LARVOX!!! (though I'm still not sure what it's supposed to be...)  
See ya!! Byee!!
> 
> P.S. Let me know if you see some errors! Also my friend recently started Trollhunters and she's saying stuff like "That Steve is such a classic bully" and I don't wanna spoil anything but DANG IT, if the Palchuk changed! Proud of him ^ ^


	3. Let it rain

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter came out way longer than I expected, hope that's okay ^^"  
Also I forgot to mention, in the last chapter I left a little reference to the Trollhunters original book. Anyone got it? That book is so good, absolutely recommend it! Well, I kept you waiting enough, let's get back to our math dorks!  
Enjoy! ^ ^

A few towels were already on the couch, Mother was as provident as usual even when she couldn’t talk. Yeah, the rain phenomenon. Humans were so blessed by Seklos and Gaylen that apparently their main nutrient could fall from the sky during simple climate changes. Although for an energy-based creature like himself – or in general for him as a living being – that only made the outdoor even more unbearable.

Krel picked one for himself, gritting his teeth as the annoying drops of water made his neck shiver. He made sure to dry off as best as he could, caressing his face and his shoulders, then his hair. He brought a lock of hair behind his ear, sighing in relief as the ship conditioner finally started to produce some heat. Too much, maybe. Hard to tell, Seamus’ cheeks tended to get extremely reddish during the most peculiar moments. Like right now while staring intensely at his face. It wasn’t the first time, but the confusion still emerged naturally on his face, and that probably woke up the math blonde from his torpor.

The prince frowned at him.

“Is something the matter?”

“… no way… ah, I mean, uh, whatever.” The blonde quickly took another towel, rubbing his face with way too much effort for such a normal activity. Almost like he was trying to get rid of the natural hydration of his skin – weren’t human fueled mostly by water?

Krel arched an eyebrow and raised a hand towards him.

“Do you require some hel-” Surprisingly, the blonde dodged it.

“Uhm, so, we have plans now or we’re all off?” He gave him a quick look and then, casually, leaned against the wall as far as possible from the undercover prince. He was avoiding eye contact like his life depended on it, a tactic meant to startle the opponent and gaining an advantage over the other’s confusion – at least according to Varvatos. Or maybe he was simply dealing with the consequences of the ‘gloomy weather’.

Krel wasn’t sure, it just felt weird. In a… bad way?

Toby groaned, letting himself fall onto the sofa. Today he had witnessed the epic showdown of an army of parking drones taking down Morando’s Syclopion ship through intergalactic Wi-Fi, yet he still looked perfectly at ease – how many times lifechanging events had manifested in their ‘wonderful, ordinary world of Arcadia’ exactly?

“I’m up to everything, but I’m also out of juice! This day was just too long!”

“Tell me about it!” On the contrary Eli looked still over the edge, even if the way he was squishing the towel between his hands made evident his still cursing enthusiasm – to be fair, he did save the day. “I’m exhausted, is there anything to eat? Maybe your robot- ROBUST, uhm, like, grandpa, can cook something? Eheh…” He sat on the littlest corner of the armrest, looking scared like Morando was coming for revenge.

It was immediate. Krel tensed, glaring straight to Eli, who raised his hands apologetically looking for support from Steve, who just shook his head and asked help with his eyes to Toby. Not even a second later two Nougat Nummies emerged – where did they even come from?

“Leave the grandpa alone, I have the good stuff!” Without waiting for a response, he unwrapped the chocolate bar and stuffed it into the nerd’s mouth, gaining a muffled thanks in return.

Not the most conventional army he had ever seen, but Krel could definitely appreciate the readiness that belonged to these guys. Especially since not including the girls – fortunately Aja’s problem at the moment – Seamus was the only human not aware of being inside a real-life spaceship. Which was actually a shame, especially after hearing his passionate talk about space and astronomy. Right now, though, the math blonde looked rather self-conscious. He was blinking, clearly a little startled by the exchange, but seeing him so aware and in control of his reactions after witnessing the fire of his anger was surprising.

Even a little concerning. Seamus shrugged, looking around.

“Not that he’s anywhere near right now.” He was talking about Krel’s family. Then why was he keeping his eyes away? Was it an actual challenge? Maybe he was just imagining it. Although the little jump he made as he approached was unusual, the most important task was finding an excuse for how his commander under the disguise of grandpa geezer was inside the lowest level of the Mothership they were currently inside of. He was really good at organizing priorities.

… _was that math blonde ignoring him??_

“I believe he is currently resting, as it is a very common activity for an old human. But I’m confident he won’t disturb us in any way.” Mother had talked him out of it, hopefully. It was a miracle that Varvatos wasn’t already on the open screaming glorious death to everyone. “I am no expert regarding counter measuring activities against the rain, I’m open to suggestions.” Shockingly he wasn’t thrilled at the idea of going back to Mother and handling technology for once – maybe guiding an army of drones to prevent an invasion had something to do with that.

Just as those words left his mouth, a laugh. A very calculated, emphatic, unnecessary laugh. Of course Steve stepped in, raising his fist along with the towel as if it was some sort of necessary prompt for the scene – Eli said he used to be in the drama club… so apparently his overly self-centered attitude could fill an entire school activity.

“Can’t you see it, guys? A secured house, isolated by the storm, with a group of victims alone in their room, unaware of what is meant to happen! This is simply the perfect scenario for the greatest indoor activity ever! Are you thinking what I’m thinking, Seamus?” Hopefully not, or Krel was going to reconsider his entire existence over the fact that somehow a _blonde_ being with the same thinking potential as the Palchuk was keeping up with him mathematically – not beating him of course, that one time was an extremely peculiar exception!

Seamus looked quizzically at him – thankfully –, sounding rather uncaring.

“I’d say no, since I’m not the one who has to go to summer school.”

“I’m being serious here! Come on, spooky house, no parents around, a group of gullible girls ready to be scared… well, there was no angel among them that time.” Steve sighed in delight, crumpling up and throwing the towel like a basketball but only managing to arc the shot and hit himself. “… but still, remember? The one and only _flying ninja attack_!”

Seamus gaped at him.

“We were, like, ten?”

“It’s the age of the heroes.” A very skeptical look. “Aw come on, you can’t tell me that wasn’t hilarious! Logan’s sis was screaming so loud, sometimes if I stay silent, I can still hear it.” Steve snickered, launching himself on the couch and shamelessly dropping his feet on Toby’s stomach in the process – Toby barely glared at him, just how many hits he got during his life?

The Warhammer wielder looked doubtfully at him.

“So this is what cool guys do? Pranking girls?”

“Wait, we’re the cool guys now??” Eli squeaked, looking for confirmation at his best bud who stroked his chin in thought.

“Well, the girls are all popular, and I am too one hundred percent. You and Toby together probably wouldn’t even make one cool dude, but I’ll give you three quarter of.” They both glared at him. “Krel, sorry, no way Jose.” Who? Another guest? How many humans were still to come? “And Seamus is a childhood friend of mine, so even as a math dork he is cool by default.” The called blonde had started looking at his phone and simply shrugged. “So yeah, the majority is cool. We _are_ the cool guys.”

“Oh yeah! I knew this was the year of Eli!”

“Awesome sauce!” Eli and Toby high fived, while the big one brought a hand to his heart. “I would like to thank my best friend Jimbo, if it wasn’t for his support and his unrivaled bad luck, I wouldn’t be here!” He took out his phone, probably messaging to him and murmuring the words he was typing – why though? It wasn’t like someone was watching him and wanted to know, right? Moving on.

Krel huffed, still catching up over the concept of social hierarchy. With all the amazing events occurring in Arcadia one would had thought this organization would had become meaningless and pretty useless. But maybe, just maybe, it was simply a comforting pattern. Knowing that normality was waiting after every adventure.

… no, it was useless. The prince crossed his arms.

“Is it possible to share a common average temperature instead of insisting over a cool atmosphere?” He did not expect the snicker, nor the quick shine into Seamus’ blue eyes towards him. Let alone the quick expression of regret, as he went to focus on his phone once again. Nope, he was not seeing things, the human was doing his best to ignore him. Why? He thought they were starting to get along surprisingly well during the last days…

Toby shrugged at him, rolling the Nummy’s envelope between his hands.

“I tried pretty much all my life, Krelito, I’m pretty sure that’s not an option.” He threw the ball to the garbage can, but Luug intercepted and started chewing it, barfing happily. “… anyway, I need to know how infuriating this ninja thingy will be. I would like to still have a girlfriend at the end of the day.”

Steve got up all of the sudden, startling his chubby friend. He chuckled evilly, getting the towel on his arm and covering his face with it.

“The _flying ninja attack_ is a simple but delicate strategy, that requires bravery, reflexes, and a room full of gullible and helpless girls.” Considering his sister, Krel wasn’t sure about the latter requirement. “We’ll need to channel our inner Japanese stealth ability and sneak to our poor victims’ room, specifically from the window. When they will least expect it, we will jump right through and scream as loud as possible! And while they will be too busy crying and calling for help we will quickly run away, leaving no sign of our presence!” He clasped his hands together and bowed. For some reason it felt rather appropriate.

Eli looked already over the top, his glasses all foggy for the excitement. Toby hummed, scratching his cheek.

“Troubling, but not too dump-your-boyfriend-for-his-stupidity-ish. Alright, I’m in.”

Steve fist bumped the air.

“Yes!! The king of pranks is back!!” He made finger guns to a very unimpressed Krel, wiggling his eyebrows like they were evolving larvoxen. “Kreeel! You can’t say no! We need some kind of smarty directions! Besides, me and Seamus can show you the wonderful art of not being just a genius, right Seam?” Such art didn’t seem commendable at all!

The math blonde finally looked up from his device, arching an eyebrow.

“Pass.”

“What?! Dude!!” Steve looked horrified at him. “You can’t leave me hanging on this, we thought it together with Logan, it’s like disowning your own creation! Don’t you wanna show off your amazing prank skills?” Seamus shook his head, huffing in an extremely awkward way – was Krel imagining things or did he just glance at him really quickly?

He put away his phone, rolling his eyes.

“You call amazing skills scaring a group of teens by jumping through the window at midnight? Not thrilled at the idea of a second round, so yeah.” And back behind the shining screen, doing Seklos knew what. Those devices saved them, but it did not mean they were less annoying.

Especially now when it seemed that one single cellular phone was putting up a wall between them. Steve was fuming, shaking his head in absolute disappointment. Toby was shrugging, probably a little more understanding, while Eli was still jumping in excitement for the upcoming prank. Krel didn’t know what to do, he sure would had liked to do everything else other than risking to awake his sister’s wrath. Yet it was the first time he was included into some kind of non-dangerous activity with the humans, he wouldn’t had minded making the most of it.

It didn’t seem fair without him, so he swallowed a little, getting closer to Seamus.

“I understand that, but I believe it would be a fun activity to engage all together. At least until the rain will cease to affect your will to drive.” The prince could feel the others’ stares on his back, probably expecting some kind of Akiridion trick to convince him – mm, didn’t sound like a bad idea for an invention…

Seamus tightened his lips, staring more attentively to his phone.

“Questionable use of the word fun, but you have my blessing I guess.” No budge. Krel clenched unconsciously his fists.

“You could… teach me the way of this sophisticated battle plan. Since you are one of the founders.” He never thought he would had tried to show interest towards the art of war – Varvatos would had gone mad over this. But he did ask him to come so they could spend time together, didn’t he? He literally admitted he wanted him to be here, right? His stubborn attitude regarding group activities was getting really frustr-

A shiver of tension made him tremble as soon as they crossed eyes. He wasn’t mad, like he saw him before. Rather irritated, uncomfortable. Like he wanted nothing more but disappear.

“Not interested. As I said, pass.” Or standing as far away as possible from the Akiridion. That was the heaviest thought. Krel hardly swallowed and found himself dragged by Steve to the door with the others, looking rather determinate about this childish project.

“Whatever, space traitor, we don’t need you! We’ll plan such an amazing _flying ninja attack_ you will _beg_ to come back into the gang!” In all response Seamus walked to the sofa, dropping himself over it. “Don’t worry guys, I’m the real deal in this prank. Just follow my lead and it will be a blast! Pepperjack, you are the skinniest, so you’ll have to look into the room and make sure all the girls are inside without being noticed!”

Eli saluted him.

“Aye aye, captain!”

“Don’t do that.”

“Sorry, Steve.”

“No, you know what? Do that.”

“Yes, captain!” Steve took his time to snicker in delight. “But sir, what if the window is closed? It would make sense since it’s raining outside.”

“Good thinking Pepperjack, but fear not! The captain knows exactly what to do!” Just what he needed, another incentive for his ego. “In case the path is closed, we will still march forward, without fear, because this is what heroes do!” He stayed in pose for five full sektons. “In other words, Toby, you will be our opener: if the window is closed, you will smash it with your hammer!”

Toby blinked at him.

“How about you think over what you just asked me.”

“… fine.” What did you know, Steve was actually learning? “Then in case the window is locked, we will recur to our secret weapon!” Three boys stared at him. “… we make faces against the window. But no regular ones, I want cheeks turning white, I want nostrils wide open, I want mucus all over the glass!!” Human anatomy was so disgusting. “So, before going to battle, any of you have questions?” Eli raised a hand. “Yes, Pepperjack?”

“Can we call ourselves the ‘space-troll-creep-slayerz’?”

“… Pepperjack, you are now the vice-captain. And yes, we can and we MUST.” They fist bumped, then Toby raised a hand. “Yes, Domzalski?”

“Do we _have_ to go out with the rain?” Steve huffed.

“Come on, you faced worse!”

“One thing is getting into a giant mountain troll’s stomach for the sake of your world, another is getting your favorite sweater, who is actually one of nana’s best work, all drenched in rain. I prefer a policy where I get to decide.” Steve and Eli stared silently at him. “Fine, fine! But if this thing shrinks and you get an old lady to cry, I’ll get the hammer! And not for the window!”

Steve rolled his eyes.

“Whatever, any other questions?” Krel raised both of his hands – he still wasn’t sure which one was better, Ms. Janeth didn’t explain it. “Yes, Krel?”

“Not to disregard the upcoming prank… but is there something wrong with Johnson? I believe he is adopting a pretty concerning behavior. It does not affect me! But I considered relevant to share my opinion about it.” Why every word connected to him sounded so awkward?

Steve frowned, looking back at the sofa.

“Seamus? Well, I guess, but being in a bad mood is pretty normal for him. It could be just another fight with his dad… mm, but thinking about it, in that case he would be absolutely insufferable.” A really annoying smirk started to curve his face. “How are you so interested? I even heard you were the one that invited him…” There was such an amount of second meanings behind humans’ words, it was unbelievable. And right in this moment, seeing as Eli and Toby scooted closer like they immediately understood what was going on, Krel felt now more than ever how far he was from understanding Earth’s inhabitants.

… was that why he didn’t know the reason behind Seamus’ distance? Because humans were still unknowns for him? An uncalled sting made his stomach ache for no reason. Krel bit his lip, shrugging uncomfortably while doing his best to look unphased.

“There is no particular reason, I was merely asking. It is not my concern at all.”

“Oh yeah?”

“I just hop- thought, uhm, we would be able to talk today, especially now that Earth is safe. But I believe he is doing his best at ignoring me.” A wave of sadness made him shiver, he angrily fought it. “Perhaps I did something to upset him without realizing, but in that case I wouldn’t have any blame over the situation! It’s just… I don’t enjoy this feeling at all.” Looking up the most peculiar sight was presented before him – male teen agers showing feelings. Eli looked dangerously close to crying, giving him such a pitiful look Krel felt it like a slap. Toby had his mouth wide open, his robot teeth in good view like he just witnessed a Diablo Maximus Breakfast Burrito coming to life.

And Steve, surprisingly, had an extremely sympathetic look directed to him. He gave him an encouraging smile, putting a hand on his shoulder. 

“Don’t worry man, Seam is just really moody sometimes. Now how about we distract you with… what…” The jock’s eyes went over his shoulder, where Seamus was. Krel was giving his back, but judging from Steve’s sudden grin it was an interesting view. “You know, I’m pretty sure he’s not ignoring you. Quite the opposite.”

Krel frowned. Another example of humans’ natural perception?

“How are you able to tell?”

“Call it intuition, bro.”

“I am not your brother, Steve.”

“But I’m dating your sister, that makes me your possible brother-in-law!” Great Gaylen, that actually made half sense. “Now play along your bro’s direction, I think I can make him spill the beans. Just follow my lead.” That sure was a dangerous perspective, but it wasn’t like Krel was about to reject one of the few humans aware of their existence, included in an even smaller group of the accepting ones. He could at least trust him on this.

Without warning Steve circled his shoulders, bringing him closer as he proceeded to the door. The rain was still tapping on the glass furiously.

“You know what, guys? I think I’m gonna change the plan a little!” His voice was unnecessary and embarrassingly high. “We’re gonna call it the _double flying ninja attack_! Pepperjack and Toby, you get to the room’s door, while me and Krel.” He made sure their shoulders were touching, Krel had never felt so out of place before. “We, together, will get to the window! Don’t worry, dude, I’ll take care of you. Very. Good. Care.” He laughed in his usual superior way, winking at him while keeping an eye behind. That multitasking skill was definitely impressive.

Yet, Krel was convinced, that guy had no plan whatsoever. And his little innuendos with his facial expressions, eyebrows, cheeks and such made no sense whatsoever. He opened the door, sighing.

“Alright th-” One foot outside and his entire body fell, so fast he barely processed Steve grabbing his wrist and then his back. He put him on his feet again, so Krel managed to look at the ground: the dirt of the planet, mixing with the rainy water, had created a very hostile environment for walks – even worse than normal, it that was possible.

Steve breathed out, one hand on his shoulder and the other behind his back. Looking a little less smug and way more anxious.

“Dude, careful! It’s like a mud skate out there!” Krel huffed, looking out of the window. Hard to analyze the situation, there was no humid condition on Akiridion-5. “Huh, just hold on to me so you don’t slip and-” Oh. Seamus was right next to him now. It was so sudden the prince forgot how to think for a moment, to busy understanding how Steve’s friendly arm got replaced by Seamus’ warm one. He didn’t look irritated anymore, no, he was straight up _mad_. All red and tense. Familiar, to be honest. _But_ he still wasn’t looking at him. _But_ he was so close._ But_ he was glaring at Steve with a clear killing intent. _But_ he was so, _so_ close.

The math blonde furrowed an eyebrow, clearly annoyed.

“With your ‘graceful’ technique you would probably end up turning Tarron into a mud man, how about you change your strategy?” There was no phone in his hand now, just a handful of tension judging from how his fingers were clenched into a fist. Steve, on the other hand, seemed extremely satisfied. He gave a look at Eli and Toby, sharing a knowing look.

“Would you look at that, the traitor is now part of the _double flying ninja attack_!”

Right at that moment Seamus gulped, like he finally managed to catch up with what was happening. How he was still tightly holding him in a protective manner. He retracted his arm and looked around in disbelief.

“What? No, I wasn’t…!”

“So nice of you to offer yourself, you go with Krel to the window, we get the door.”

“Steve I’m no-”

“When you guys are there knock three times and then jump in.” Time to blink once and they were pushed outside, under the menacing rain, with the door closed right in front of their faces. “Good luck with that!” For a chubby Nougat Nummies lover and a typical nerd human, they escaped as fast as the jock of the team. One sekton later they were left alone, under the water and with no other company but each other’s – unless Luug’s confused stare from the inside counted.

Krel grunted, the annoying drops wetting his hair once again. He scooted to the wall, so he could at least stand under the edge of the roof. Seamus mimicked him, gritting his teeth.

“Just when I think he can’t be that annoying, Steve proves me wrong.” He tapped at his pocket, probably realizing now he did not have his phone with him. He sighed, looking up at the rain. Apparently anywhere but on his direction. “Is there any way to get back in? The front door maybe?” They were facing the pool right now, and with every chance the main entrance wasn’t accessible – especially after the Birdie, _screech_, encounter.

“It is probably locked, but-”

“Ah, dang it! Fine, maybe some other windows.”

“Johnson, I’m telling y-”

“You’re moving or what?” Easier would had been telling him the door in front of the pool was open, since those three weren’t dumb enough to lock the entrance of a ship controlled by an extraterrestrial AI. But it wasn’t like he deserved to know after showing such a contempt in his regard, like the last few days were just hallucinations.

Even now, while tapping nervously his foot on the mud, his eyes couldn’t be bothered to cross his. So the prince glared, swallowed his words and followed the blonde, back against the wall to avoid the rain. His feet were bouncing on the mud, it felt like setting a foot on Durio – luckily without the malodourous odor. The noisy rain was annoying him to no end, especially since his present companion wasn’t exactly up to conversation. His back was all wet and tense, like he was ready to jump in case something exploded. The same black shirt all over again, like when they faced each other during the Math Duel. It felt nostalgic for some reason.

Krel continued to follow the other, holding for dear life the wall. The ground was so slippery, his foot could barely stand still after one step. He never hated open nature more than now, almost like it was making fun of him; as the last step made him go full knees into the mud, he knew it was a certainty. He grunted, feeling the rain poking his head and his clothes getting sticky and uncomfortable – the transduction chambers too accurate sometimes. 

“Urgh, klebtastic!” He tried to wipe away the drops on his face, ending up covering his cheeks as well. It was so humiliating. Yet one sekton later he was dragged again, this time onto his feet. “What are yo-” He still wasn’t looking at him, it was as angering as impressive really. But Seamus’ hand did not leave his wrist, and his shoulder was inclined behind as a clear invite. Giving in, since he wasn’t thrilled at the idea of getting stuffed in the dirt once again, Krel held onto him, clenching his fingers around his shoulder. With this support he could at least walk semi-normally. Even in the rain, his shirt was very warm. “… thanks.” 

A shrug, and Krel witnessed how humans’ ears could turn red. It gave him a weird warm feeling, considering the actual weather. But for once today, not unpleasant.

They circled the house, silently, as fast as they could in their weird position. The prince couldn’t even start to think about what was happening, it was beyond him and a little part of himself didn’t particularly mind. So he hesitated when he saw the glass door, thinking about the stupid prank coming. But when he realized it was actually his room, not Aja’s, he felt a wave of anxiety making his walk even more difficult. They got in and, finally, the annoying rainy sound ceased. Krel sighed in relief, even if his entire being was an agglomerate of frustration over his conditions. Mud, water, dirt, all over him. Luckily once again Mother had projected some towels beforehand, so he started to make himself as presentable as possible.

Seamus looked around, clearly surprised, his eyes all over his DJ tools. Then he looked at him.

“… great, just what I need.” He muttered, scratching his neck. “Uh, let’s just go back to the living room.” An uncertain step was made. And Krel didn’t want him to go back to his social isolation, like he needed to spend the day trying to stay as far away from him as possible.

The prince pointed at the door.

“I wouldn’t advice that, Aja’s room is located right in front of mine. Steve, Toby and Eli are with every chance right in front of it.” Seamus blinked and, finally, smiled. Well, smirked actually.

“Oh really?”

“Indeed.” The blonde scooted closer to the door, holding the handle. “What are you doing?”

“Nothing.” That was not an innocent expression, especially not while he saw and took that weird trumpet Krel found while looking for music sounds – nothing interesting, just really obnoxiously loud, kinda like Steve. He slowly opened the door, peaking out. Just as expected, the three warriors were exactly in front of the ‘victims’ room’, clearly waiting for the outcome. “Let’s see if Steve still falls for the ‘shoulder tap’ prank.” He knocked three times, but at his wall. Even so, the jock immediately sprouted to action through Aja’s door with a confident smile on his face. Just as he was on the verge of his epic monologue, Seamus pressed the red button and the trumpet played loudly. 

The jump Steve made was definitely an extension of his impressive athletic skills, though the extremely high pitch scream wasn’t exactly a ‘manifestation of virility’, as humans liked to call it. Impressive was how his voice changed, to the point of sounding like a complete and possible hostile intruder. The right fuel to his sister’s warrior instincts to _kick_ in.

By kicking him. In the face. _Again_. With a… pillow? Nonetheless, the second time was supposed to be less exciting – it wasn’t. As soon as the attack was over Aja brought her hands over her mouth.

“Oh kleb! Steve!”

“Ha! Way to go, sis! Twice in a row!” And of course Mary was already on with her phone, while Darci was clearly doing her best not to crack. “In this episode of ‘The Flying Palchuk’ our friend Steve can’t get a break even when it’s about his girlfriend! Hashtag troubleinparadise, hashtag notsolively!” She snickered, typing like mad while the rest of the _double flying ninja attack_’s army was trying to wake their valiant leader up – Toby looked quite happy to be honest.

Eli managed to lift the jock’s back, so Steve could at least sit down.

“I think the plan backfired, captain.”

“My angel… came back… to kick butts once again…” The blonde laughed, his head swinging. “… Seamus, I know it was you! I swear you’re gonna pay for that!!” Right when he tried to get up Aja kneeled and hugged him, and all his killing intent got lost in giggles.

Right then Seamus closed the door, and they couldn’t hold their laughter anymore. Krel tried as hard as he could to keep it down, considering all of their human companions on the other side of the door. But just thinking of how easily that lumbering oaf took a flight right in their doorway was giving him cramps. Overhearing footsteps getting further from their snickering proved to be difficult, but at some point, he realized they were pretty much on their own. Sitting on the floor of his room. Finally having fun together. Krel hadn’t realized how much he had wanted this.

Seamus bit his lip for prevent another fit, shaking his head. He sighed in delight, letting his head fall against the door.

“I managed to see Steven Q. Palchuk getting kicked in the face. _Twice_. And this without considering Lake’s glorious punch. Ah, life is wonderful.”

Krel giggled, getting unconsciously closer to him. It seemed appropriate.

“I must admit, I never thought I’d find Staja this entertaining.” He looked at the door in thought, like he could actually see through. “Thinking about it, now that my sister probably crushed something else on Steve, does this mean he now has a double crush on her?” It made the blonde laugh and it marveled Krel. It was something he never experienced before, his quality was giving information, not sustain an amusing conversation.

Was he actually funny? The thought alone made him feel warm.

“That’s not exactly how it works…”

“Really? I thought it was a requirement.”

“Nah, there’s more than one way to get a crush, you don’t necessarily have to beat up a quarterback for that.” Once again humans proved themselves not to be that primitive. What a day full of surprises. “You can… uh…” Right when his blue eyes changed, from that fascinating glim to a hard realization, Krel felt that nice breeze between them turning cold. “… I think I’m gonna check on him. You know, to be a good friend and stuff.” That was the lamest excuse, Steve already survived through events very unusual for a simple human – getting adducted, falling from a spaceship, facing a bounty hunter, and that without including whatever his creepslayer career included –, there was no way he wasn’t okay. Krel half guessed he actually enjoyed Aja’s violence…

Seamus stood up, taking a few steps back before even thinking about opening the door. Again, his eyes were unreachable. Again, he looked sick of his mere presence. Krel swallowed, getting up as well, trying to smile.

“I’m positive Steve will be fine, he is under the care of my sister after all.”

“Yeah, well, you never know…” He took the door handle and, without thinking, Krel did the same. Seamus retracted his hand like he just got burnt. “Uh, uhm, I just… I left my phone in the living room, I don’t want to miss any kind of messages! Like, it could be important, and I don’t want to have _my dad_ worried about me…” The door was locked right after, the key left into his pocket. “What the…?”

Krel felt it from the stomach raising to his throat, burning and raging through all these lies and excuses. And as soon as such falsity came up, there was no point into keeping it quiet anymore. He punched the door – regretting it only inside, ouch – and glared at him.

“Alright, what is your problem??”

Seamus, at last, crossed his eyes.

“Excuse me?”

“Do not play dumb in my presence, you insult my intelligence! Which, no matter how vividly you deny it, is way superior to yours!” Finally, _finally_, a response. His blue irises were already on fire. “I’m asking you why are you putting such an effort into ignoring me and every single attempt I made at engaging a conversation with you! This cannot be about your dumb moody temper anymore, and either way I’m tired of it!” Wow. He wasn’t aware someone could scream this loud, to the point of forgetting his entire body existed. He felt his eyes pinching, his throat hurting. This terrestrial form truly was fragile.

Seamus was left gaping at him for a sekton. Right then, though, his eyebrows flexed and his angry expression shined once again. It was probably the first normal behavior from him all day, even if it wasn’t a promising view.

“Dumb moody…?! If I’m having a bad day it has nothing to do with you!”

“It does if you continuously drop your moodiness over me, like I did something to anger you all of the sudden! And I’m positive I did not, since such actions aren’t very operable _on the phone_!!”

“Why- you- you know nothing, okay?? If I have something against you, you have no right to know! It’s _my_ problem, not yours! In fact, I don’t even know why I’m losing time talking!” He tried the handle but no result. “Open the door, Tarron.” His fist was tight against the door, shaking like mad like he couldn’t wait to get out.

But Krel wasn’t letting this go. Not this time. He stepped forward, poking his chest.

“Not my problem?? You just addressed a concern regarding me, and it is not my problem?! Are you even listening to yourself, you soolian??”

“… a what now?”

“Forget it, just tell me what is wrong with you!” Or himself, for the matter. Because Seamus was finally looking at him, fully and intensely, to the point it felt almost too much. Too much of his blue eyes, of his furrowed eyebrows, of his tense forehead. Of his bad mood caused by whatever Krel had done and hadn’t known to be bad.

Seamus bit his lip, pondering, thinking, then shook vigorously his head. He gave him a furious look and kicked the door.

“You’re not entitled to know everything about me, okay?? You’re not my neighbor, you’re not my family, I don’t even know if we are friends, so make yourself a favor and drop it!! Now open the door or I swear I’m gonna break it!!” He panted right after, looking right into his eyes. Actually showing everything but contempt, just stress and tiredness. But Krel felt those words too much to care. Once again, he was left with nothing less than an acknowledgement, but nothing more than a ‘have a great summer’. It was supposed to be okay. They didn’t belong to Earth. They were meant to go back home at some point. Why take the risk, he always told Aja.

Yet, without even considering the transient reality of the situation, he decided to very reasonably take the key out of his pocket and throw it against the math blonde – right on his forehead, always a better aim with everything but his serrator.

“Very well, leave!! Do not think I care!! But I’ll have you know, this occurred to be one of the most exhausting delsons of my life, and all I wanted to do was relax and maybe spend some time with you! If I’m such a bother for your persona then I apologize for inviting you in the first place, since you are clearly not enjoying being here!… or being with me…” Words left his lips without his consent, to the point his fast brain managed to catch them only in a second moment. Krel felt shame and embarrassment _and_ sadness, confusing and suffocating.

Seamus gulped, silently, massaging his forehead. Krel was looking down, still catching the guy as he lowered down and picked up the key. His chest ached, hard, like he wasn’t allowed to breath. But there was no unlocking sound. Just a hand on his shoulder, dangerously close to his neck.

“Tarr-”

No matter how much he prepared himself regarding Earth climatic changes, the sudden thunder that shook the entire ship came completely unattended. The adrenaline hit so suddenly he found himself screaming without realizing, all his senses pulsing through his body. The rain was still pressing against the window, right after the big flash. The light flickered and then turned off, leaving nothing but black in front of him. Darkness on Earth was absolutely terrifying, there was no energy or light. His eyes always found it hard to adapt. And just when he thought he was finally figuring the furniture’s lineaments, his hands trembled against a warm surface.

Krel chocked a gasp. If the hold on his shoulders was any indicator, the guy in the room wasn’t as far from him as he might had thought.

“J-Johnson?” A light made him flinch. His phone. Klebtastic, he was right in front of him. “I thought you left that in the living room?” His voice was a whisper. Seamus didn’t answer that. His eyes were fixed on him, bright from the screen of the device, looking so innocently curious. Like he was seeing him for the first time, and wanted nothing more but discovering him.

His fingers were shaking over his shoulders.

“I, uh, I thought I did. It was in my back pocket.” He exhaled slowly, shakenly. “Are you okay? That was one big lightning.” Was that why he wasn’t letting go? He could. Krel didn’t want him to. Humans didn’t have a core, they were fueled by blood circulating thanks to a specific muscle. The prince’s fists were tight against his chest, that was when he heard it. His _heart_. And it was beating. So fast. So strongly. Krel felt absolutely enchanted by it. It was like no other sound he had ever encountered, unrivaled to all the Earth music he heard before. A primordial rhythm that quickly conquered any other noise, the never-ending drops against the glass, the faraway menacing thunders through the city, and all his efforts to keep his breath under control.

After Seklos knew how long, Krel felt the heartbeats slowly fading from his ears, and Seamus impelling attention on him becoming more and more concerning. He swallowed and put a step between them, remembering to breath.

“I’m fine. I simply was not expecting it.” He took a deep breath and looked around, Seamus’ phone’s light helping his sight. “Peculiar. I witnessed such an event before, it was a dark colored emergency I believe?” Oh, finally, a laugh. Seamus gave him a sweet look.

“I think the word you’re looking for is _black_out.”

“Is it? Last time it was indeed outside, concerning the entire city. Now it seems to be affecting the inside our residence. I do not think this ‘out colored’ is the rightful term.” It made him laugh again. It was relaxing, but it did not distract him. Normally the mothership wouldn’t sustain such damage, having an extremely efficient protective barrier. But after the Omen’s attack and, most importantly, while maintaining the quiet and pretty flawed human house appearance, a lightning hitting in the right position wasn’t such an unbelievable cause of malfunctioning.

Seamus unlocked the door, waiting for him to follow. It was like with the darkness, his anger hid as well. For now, they could both breathe normally.

“Do you have a power generator for emergencies?”

“I believe not. Though I’m confident I’ll be able to deal with it without problem, I am quite gifted regarding technology and engineering.” How humble he was, comparing his tech wiz abilities to a mere gift! “Let me head to our, uhm, energy panel, and I’ll have the light back in one sek- Ouch!!” Right on his nose. The walls were black like the doorway.

“Whoa, you’re okay?”

“Oh, it is just hard to have a clear see of my surrounding.”

“I mean, it’s not that dark, dude… but you did say Cantaloupia is all bright and luminous, so maybe you’re not used to darkness in general.” How dare that math blonde, irritating him to no end while now making him feel weirdly special for listening. “I’m gonna guess you don’t have your phone right now…” Krel nodded, he accidentally left it in the control room when the meeting with the Akiridion-5 citizens ended. “Alright, no problem. Where to?”

Krel blinked at him.

“I’m sorry?”

“I’ll give you the light, you just tell me where to go. Besides, you can’t work on anything if you can’t see!” It was an extremely fair point… if only the so called ‘energy panel’ wasn’t the main chamber of Mother, hidden under their feet in their secret multileveled spaceship. “At my house the panel is outside, behind the garden. Where’s yours?” And now he was finally making some effort to talk to him, something he had wanted all day. Just his usual luck – the one he acquired the moment he stepped a foot on this dumb heap.

Krel bit his lip, considering the situation. There was no sound around, that was concerning, but hopefully the other teen agers were more equipped with phone lights – Mary was a certainty. He just needed to get down into the ship and fix the problem.

“No matter, I think I won’t have problems finding my way in the darkness. It’s getting already clearer, the walls are evidently aroun- Sweet Gaylen!!!” Feeling this much pain after hitting such little and meaningless appendix was extremely humiliating. What was the function of fingers this small attached to the feet? Humans were simply unexplainable.

Seamus flinched like he was the one that hit the angle.

“Yikes! You’re not going to make it alive to the panel if you go on your own. Quit being stubborn, come on!” Like he could talk. Krel glared at him right with that thought, trying to make further steps on his own – while possibly avoiding any kind of deadly angles.

“I am not being stubborn, I’m perfectly capable of handling this on my own!” One step in the clear. Another one missed the wall by a finger. The third one stopped the moment Seamus grabbed his hand.

With his role as an engineer Krel witnessed many devices short-circuiting. As much as absolutely frustrating and downing it was seeing the result of many horvaths of work being wasted, there was something fascinating about how a perfectly connected mechanism could suddenly cease to function. Just a little disconnection was all it needed. Right there, it felt the same. His main duty was suddenly forgotten. His body felt hot and out of his control. The brain he was so proud of shut down completely, leaving nothing but confusion for him to deal with. It mattered very little for some reason.

Seamus’ hand was shaking. They did shake hands in the past, right after the end of the Math Duel. But that time they weren’t alone. They weren’t in the dark. And there wasn’t this deep shivering coming from where their fingers were touching.

“Uh, just… let me guide you. So you don’t get hurt.” It was the sweetest sound. Krel couldn’t talk. Couldn’t think. He could only witness how they were standing in silence, even if his burning ears were whispering nothingness to his head. He couldn’t even bring himself to protest, to find an excuse. Like his sister was probably handling this and two people were enough. His grandpa needed a hand and didn’t trust anyone but him. The panel was in a messy room and he was embarrassed by it. By _this_. It was supposed to be, at least. Then why this deep shameful feeling burning inside wasn’t enough to elicit his will of freeing himself?

Krel swallowed and, with a blank mind, held back his hand.

“Okay.” His voice sounded so little. Scared. _Hopeful_? Where was everyone? Why wasn’t Aja screaming and jumping like usual? Why weren’t the girls talking to each other? Why Steve, Toby and Eli weren’t plotting revenge against them? A part of him wanted nothing more but for someone to come and make his body move again. Another one wasn’t paying attention, too caught up into the moment, how Seamus’ fingers were slightly rough, probably from years spent using primitive writing tools that were so necessary on Earth for some reason. And one last side of himself was questioning how was he able to even think, while all his attention was on _him_.

That was why he barely realized they were in the living room again. The rain was merciless at that point, hammering violently like it wanted to get inside. It made him think that his shoes were still covered in mud. Mother was going to be mad. How little he cared right now was unbelievable.

Seamus turned to him, pointing his phone so they could see each other. Seeing how his freckles had disappeared under the natural redness of his face made him feel better about the situation.

_ Good _ about the situation.

“Hey, uhm…” He swallowed, giving him the most awkward look he had ever seen. It blossomed something into his core that had no name. “Are you nervous?”

Krel bit his lip. Words too sincere for his own good were trying to escape his lips. Everything felt too warm, to uncomfortable and unique at the same time. He had no idea what could happen if he let his guard down, just for a second, allowing his real thoughts to take form in front of him. He just stared back, swallowing.

“N-no.” He instinctively clenched his hold.

Seamus gulped, scratching his neck with the other hand. His eyes were so serious, so focused, on no one but him. Only _him_.

“Ah, well… me neither.”

There was silence. Space for a moment that wasn’t happening. Krel unconsciously held his breath in anticipation, his core trembling, his face too hot to rationalize. With that expectation… the last thing he imagined was a loud war cry coming from behind – high pitch and very enthusiastic, definitely his sister – and a _mattress_ slamming Seamus out of his hand and on the ground, following all of the guests holding the big cushion down so their prisoner wasn’t going to escape. The quicks sequence of events left him petrified.

Steve, of course, was laughing the loudest, putting way too much effort into it.

“See what happens when you mess with the Palchuk?? Serves you right, space dork!”

“Dang it, Steve, all of you, get off!!”

“Sorry dude, this is too fun!” Toby snickered, and the moment his robot teeth shined Krel realized how he was now seeing way clearer than before: the helmet of the big guy’s peculiar looking armor was on his head, with the torch on and operative. Eli was doing his best not to laugh too hard, pressing one hand on the other probably trying to compensate his little manpower.

A flash. Of course Mary was already on it, leaving the other girls the work. She typed lightning fast, giggling to herself.

“Steve gets his revenge, does Seamus do equations instead of counting sheep for falling asleep? Hashtag sweetrevenge, hashtag teamwork, hashtag mathisnotanopinion!”

“You are really helpful, girl.”

Aja laughed hysterically, definitely capable to take down the pray all by herself.

“I love this pillow fight! And I even evolved it!” Then she turned to him and went serious, nudging toward the portal of the inner chambers of the mothership. “Now. Go now.” She mouthed, winking, giving the absolute certainty she was going to take care of the rest. Between spending a lifetime together and fighting for their lives, a few signals were as transparent as oxygen.

Krel nodded back and stood up, trying to move as normally as possible while the others were distracted. Fortunately Seamus was down, Mary and Darci were giving him their backs, and the others were perfectly aware of their natures. So he went through the portal without problems, focusing on the task of fixing whatever problem was affecting the Mothersh- As soon as he was inside, his body gave up and he was forced to lean against the wall. He panted, trying to catch up with what was happening, feeling all of his sensations and thoughts coming together like a mechanism rebooting. If only he could had attributed all of this to the technologic world, it would had made it all so much easier to understand.

He took a few mekrons, in mind the entire ship without energy and, in the worst scenario, without defenses. That was enough to make up his mind, running through the levels of the ship. Apparently the lights inside were plenty operational, so the damage couldn’t be that bad. Krel took a breath, relieved. Embarrassed. His burning cheeks were evident now that he was running.

“… ah, princeling! Finally! Varvatos was starting to worry the hoo-mans had bested you!”

The prince sighed, relaxing a little. Staying between humans was always surprisingly exhausting. It was nice talking to other Akiridions.

“Where is Zadra?”

“In the regeneration room, checking on the King and Queen. So, why did it take you so long?”

“I was trying to find a moment of peace to come here, it took me a while.”

“Varvatos Vex does not doubt it, those meat sacks can be quite bothersome.” He knew that alright. “Even so, Varvatos often finds his glorious devotion towards the battle depicted into your eyes, but regarding your engineering activities. This is why he was kinda expecting you to come in with the same fierce fury, like an Opherus Viper jumping on his pray!” Krel highly doubted, since no one was probably as fixed as Vex was about a warrior’s entrance. But his words still put a smile on his face, as he approached the console. Everything was functioning, apparently, even so Mother was nowhere to be found.

He turned down his transduction through his improved serrator and stretched all of his four arms, leaving his weapon on the deck. 

“I think I’d rather opt for a more rational approach.” Now fully operational, he started analyzing Mother’s configuration, tapping rapidly on the console. Seeing codes running and hearing the endearing digital response of his fingers, his body finally felt at ease. This was indeed his own battlefield.

His guardian smirked loudly.

“Varvatos is aware. He knows his _engineer_ very well.” The confident and serene tone used for such a simple word always managed to amaze him. Even earlier this day, when the commander came back from his failed attempt to get the humans’ help and put his trust on his plan, he called him by his main duty. His true role. It was so certain it was almost concerning. But it brought him absolute pride like few other things could.

It was just a matter of mekrons after that, Krel almost surprised himself with how easily he coded the reboot program – probably repairing the mothership twice had something to do with that. He leaned down and switched off the main generator, waiting. The entire system shut down completely, then slowly came to life again, glowing blue through the walls and the main controls. Then, finally, a blue hologram appeared in front of them.

“_Good evening, my royal, and commander Vex_.”

Krel exhaled a breath he didn’t know he was holding. Ah, always so ridiculous, being anxious about his work. He should know at this point he was skilled…

“Welcome back, Mother. Are you feeling okay?”

“_I feel positively charged… get it?_” Oh he did not include a humor matrix in her system, Mother’s intelligence was definitely taking some liberties. It didn’t mind him as much as it should had. The prospective was less about a menacing rebelling AI – happened before – and more about an improved understanding being. It gave him a weird sense of accomplishment.

“Could you check for further potential damage through the ship? I believe the lightning only switched off your controls, but you never know.”

“_Very well. Analyzing status of the Mothership… analyzing status of the Mothership… analyzing the, ah ah, just kidding, I am not a mere human computer_.” Aja was right, that attitude was not there before. Just how much he improved her life experience? “_It appears the house is intact, there is no sign of damage. Everything is secured and monitored… may I ask why the Queen-in-waiting and the humans are putting such effort into trapping one of the lifeforms under a vertebral column support system also known as mattress?_”

“Kleb, they are still doing that?!”

Vex fiercely raised his punch.

“Glorious! I shall join them during the suffocation of the lifeform!” His sister and his guardian attempting to squash Johnson against the floor? A death sentence would had been easier.

“No you are not! Just stay here and make sure Mother is not suffering countereffects of the lightning struck.” Varvatos pouted, clearly disappointed, but complying by giving him a firm nod. “The time for parties is over, me and Aja will make sure the humans leave, they already proved to be too much of a burden today.” Regardless of how fun it had been playing Dog Fight with all of them and seeing Steve getting crushed again and how Seamus… whatever was happening with him, there was too much left to do. 

Krel took a breath, walking towards the door that started to open automatically. He didn’t feel eager to come back, what was waiting for him exactly? The cold distant behavior the blonde showed before, or… something else? So lost in thought he jumped at the touch. Quicker than his size might had indicated Varvatos’ hand had immediately stopped him, turning him around. His four eyes were giving him a very surprised look, staring like he was mentally preparing to charge him head down. The prince just gaped at him, startled, confused, until he finally let go.

The commander blinked, looking at Mother’s hologram, then back at him.

“Uhm, your highness?” Krel hummed, the silence left seemed long enough to realize something. What exactly, it was beyond him. “Varvatos believes you are not entirely focused.” He stepped away, leaving some space, while giving no explaination whatsoever.

“What are you talking about?”

“_My royal, may I bring your attention to yourself?_” Krel furrowed an eyebrow. _“… you are currently in your Akiridion form, the transduction won’t wear off anytime soon. And you were about to leave your serrator on the deck_.” There was a moment when his entire being denied what happened. The sekton his eyes fell over the high technologic weapon abandoned near the controllers, a big gasp caught him. He quickly ran to his serrator, took it along with his phone – there it was – and avoided his guardian and his ship’s weird looks over him as he exited the room. His thoughts were loud in his head, giving him no mercy. What was that? What klebso was that?? That kind of recklessness was Aja’s trademark, not his!

He stopped right before the portal, looking at his hand tight around the serrator. The blue smooth color, the natural glow. Completely different from the ‘skin’ so popular on this planet. It was so unusual for a human. So weird…

“… kleb, I really am unfocused!” That ended right now. He turned on his human form, adjusting his hair for no reason – no reason at all – and finally going through the portal. Just as Mother said, the group was still holding Seamus as hostage. Rather impressive how Eli was keeping up despite the shields on his eyes getting opaque, but mostly how the math blonde was still ferociously fighting for freedom. It reminded him the Luug chasing through all of Sector Seven to have him take a bath – and now there it was, the little rascal, happily looking at the scene like he never did anything remotely similar. A giggle came unannounced.

The same disposition as before saved their anonymity, the portal closed without anyone noticing. Apart from Aja, who gave him a look and grinned with satisfaction. Urgh. Sometimes he did wish he wasn’t so jealous of her, seeing how much his accomplishments excited her. But it was hard sometimes, comparing himself to his brave and spirited sister.

She took the mattress and raised it, slamming it over Seamus one more time – judging for that loud whine he did not like that.

“Lively! Aja Tarron wins the pillow war!”

“Pillow _fight_, Aj.”

“No, no, let her! I love it!” Mary was losing it, snapping one last photo over Seamus’ unmoving and groaning body under the bed component. “Just another boy _falling_ for Aja! Does Steve have competition?” She blinked to herself, snickering. “Hashtag doubtful, hashtag pillowwar. Done!… hey, did the rain quiet down a little?” She ran to the window, followed by the other girls and the boys, minus the poor victim. As Krel pushed the mattress off him, the blonde appeared to him wearing an expression of absolute hatred on his face. 

“You seem quite in distress. Perhaps being the Steve of the situation is not as amusing?” He couldn’t stop himself from laughing, extending a hand towards him.

“Ah ah, very funny.”

“Yes, I agree.” Seamus rolled his eyes and took his hand. It did not give the same mesmerizing feeling, yet a distant echo was still there. It stopped as soon as the blonde let go, back on his feet, giving him an unsure look. Oh right. The situation was supposed to be awkward and unpleasant for them. For reasons still impossible to understand. Krel stood there, frozen, trying to think of something. It was his best quality, right? It… used to, apparently.

The blonde looked at him, seeming so uncomfortable, with nothing left of the same confidence he had staring at his eyes so deeply before. Krel sighed, turning to get to the window as well.

“Ah, Tarron! I…!” Seamus whined, scratching his head. “I… I didn’t mean to ignore you.”

Silence. Krel blinked, facing him again.

“… I truly hope you have a better explanation than that.” He really thought it was established neither of them was dumb. “I consider extremely difficult not wanting to avoid a person while making sure to do it at every single chance, you know.” Despite not being able to catch some of the humans’ typical ways of speaking, he considered himself in a pretty advanced position in the ‘sassy’ disposition.

Seamus glared at him. Then he closed his eyes, took a breath and shook his head.

“It’s not- I mean, okay, yeah, I did want to ignore you.” It was the obvious conclusion. Why did it hurt? “But because I needed some space, okay? I had some thinking lately… pretty much only today. And it’s really confusing right now, to the point it gets annoying. I just wanted to breath for a moment… and to be completely honest, I wasn’t doing a good job anyway.” He scratched his neck, looking the other way. How reserved he was, always trying to preserve a bit of pride to the very end despite the honesty.

Krel could understand that, he was exactly the same. It still wasn’t flattering the slightest.

“Apparently around here there is no such thing as _talking_.”

“It’s not that easy, okay??”

“Oh my apologies, I wasn’t aware your vocals weren’t functioning!” That pout convinced him to let the sass go for a moment. “Very well, but… I wouldn’t have minded knowing beforehand. I was starting to believe I did something to provoke you without realizing. It was pretty upsetting.” He wasn’t sure that math blonde deserved to know his concern, especially after how he treated him. If Krel was in his usual state of mind, he probably wouldn’t had brought up his point of view in the first place. What was changing? What was happening to him for speaking up about himself to a mere human? What was _wrong_ with him?

Seamus widened his eyes, all his restrain disappeared from his eyes.

“You thought what? Why, Tarron that’s crazy!”

“Well forgive me for having very few data to put up a conclusion!!”

“All this time you thought I was actually mad at you or something?” Krel nodded. The blonde grunted, angrily grabbing his own hair. “Urgh, I’m such an idiot! I can’t believe I… ah, I’m so stupid, I don’t even know what to say.” He sighed, and while looking so down and apologetic there wasn’t much left of the tension from before. Just a pleasant realization that made the Akiridion grin – humans were just a bunch of gloobers, it was nothing new.

“An apology should be enough…”

“It’s never enough!!” That sudden shout surprised them both. Seamus bit his lip in shame. “I mean… it’s like every time we talk to each other I show the worst of me. At the Math Duel with dad, at park all hostile, at the phone being lunatic, and now this. You always end up dealing with me and my problems and I hate that. I… I’m sorry.” Krel couldn’t help it. Even after hating him and his indifference, the way his blue eyes lost their glow made weak.

He sighed, smiling nonetheless.

“I am an engineer.” It felt unbelievably good saying that. “Fixing problems is quite my thing, so I don’t mind. I wished you would have talked to me about it… but I assume all of us have their secrets.” His was carefully hidden all around them. “After all you were right, you don’t own me anything. We are not that close…” His words were incredibly heavy.

Seamus blinked, then slowly widened his eyes. It was a lucid look, a thinker look. Of someone who just had a good idea.

“I’m… uh, I said that, yeah. How about… how about we change that?”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, I gave you a hard time today… and many other times. I’d like to make up for it.”

Krel frowned.

“I thought the facial paint was mostly common towards the female gender.”

“What?… _oh_.” The blonde laughed, shaking his head. “Wow, is it a European thing being this literal or is it just Cantaloupia?” Krel really didn’t have an answer for that. “What I mean is, I did something bad so I want to apologize and do something for you in return. How about next Saturday? I could… I don’t know, bring you somewhere nice. I know a few places in Arcadia.” Considering he presumably lived there for most of his life, knowing just a _few _places of an entire city sounded extremely unlikely.

Even so, his sincere voice cracking slightly over an unknown embarrassment was fascinating. Endearing even. Krel was surprised such thoughts did not startle him as much. Maybe it was the comparison to the strong feeling in his core when they held hands. Maybe it was his mind finally rationalizing and putting his thinking in order. It didn’t really matter.

It made him smile regardless.

“You are not required to do so.”

“I know. Next Saturday then?” There wasn’t much space left to think, and the prince found surprisingly easy to avoid thinking of possible repercussions – the risks that would always follow whenever one of them left the Mothership – and nod, seeing an excited smile spark on the blonde’s face. “Great! I promise it will be worth it.” How could he switch from the cold and mean guy that gave him a hard time before to this bright human willing to put all his focus on him? For this kind of troubles Krel was able to put up a frown for an entire delson – his current record after Aja broke one of his optimizers while trying to do backflips in the palace –, and it wasn’t like this particular human was special by any chance. Not at all… no way.

“Hey Seamus, mind giving us a lift?” Darci got closer with Mary, Toby following. “My dad is covering a colleague’s shift and can’t pick us up right now.” Apparently the rain had quieted down enough for the humans – it was a better solution to make them leave than giving Luug any kind of organic food and unleashing his intestinal fury.

Seamus shrugged, taking his keys out of his pocket.

“Sure, no problem… but Domzalski takes the front seat.”

“What? Why?”

“This way you and Darci won’t get all lovey-dovey on the back of my car.”

“Aw, dude! Not cool!” Toby pouted, leaning his chin on his girlfriend’s shoulder who just laughed it off and started petting his hair. While Mary was actually smirking, giving all of her attention to Seamus, for once her phone out of the way.

“Looks like they wouldn’t be the only ones.” What did that mean? And why was Seamus’ changing color again?

“W-what gives, let’s just go! I’ll text you soon, Tarron!” It was impressively fast how he waved at him and immediately went to the door, pushing Darci and Toby in the process who looked just as aware of the situation as Mary was – again with the subtle meanings, when was it going to stop?

The girl waited a moment, giving him a little grin.

“Hope Seamus didn’t bother you too much, Kent. He can’t be a handful sometimes.” At that point Krel lost all together the willpower to correct her. He just shrugged.

“Just a little, perhaps. But I appreciate the effort he puts in his apologies, and I do enjoy his company.” That comment seemed to make her absolutely glow. “Thank you for infecting people into playing my game.” She was an interesting human, after all she did play a big part in today’s success. So many terrestrial helped them out. Good people at last. Fascinating.

Mary shrugged like it wasn’t a big deal – the sake of her planet wasn’t?

“No biggie, I was kind of cool I guess.” She caught Darci waving at her, gesturing that they were leaving. “Well, gotta jet… I hope you and Seamus get along.” She winked at him, turning around and hopping her way to the door.

Krel frowned. Getting _a long_? A long what? Always so complicated, maybe there was something wrong with Seamus. Although it didn’t seem likely, he looked perfectly healthy while giving a nod to Aja on the way out. Absolutely nice looking and in shape. Bright blonde hair – oh wait, strawberry blonde… what was a strawberry? –, shining blue eyes, a finally clear and serene expression. And he was looking right at him. Smiling. Like he got rid of the biggest weight and was finally walking normally. The prince couldn’t help but smile back, kinda missing how Steve and Eli also waved goodbye – probably sharing the jock’s vespa, maybe that was the Creepslayerz’ official vehicle?

Aja placed an arm around his neck as soon as the door closed, beaming probably for accomplishing the newfound activity – klebtastic, now he was supposed to fear pillows as well as serrators, toe kicks and taco trucks bumps to break his inventions.

“That was lively, wasn’t it, little brother? We should invite our human friends more often!”

“Maybe not during a plan to stop General Morando from invading Earth.” She snickered, nodding in agreement, while Luug was jumping around them to get attention. “Well, back to repairing the Mothership. Again.” He rolled his eyes, dragging himself to the portal. It seemed like after every miracle, another one needed to happen that was never good enough – and in general him not being able to put a ship in good use was a bad hit to his self-esteem.

Aja gave him half-hug and then picked up Luug, following closely.

“Don’t worry, you’re going to make it!”

“Don’t be so sure. What if I don’t?”

“Then you’ll find another solution! You always do.” She looked at him with soft eyes. “With your inventions you saved us countless of times. I have no doubt you will keep doing that.” It wasn’t a mystery how much his sister supported him, every accomplishment was never complete without her cheering for him. Now that they were really getting to a loss of options, her support was truly his greatest resource.

Krel smiled at her.

“Thanks.” They changed into their Akiridion forms and so did their pet, making their way back to the control room. “… it appears your boyfriend was crushed again.”

“I knew you were going to tell me that!” The prince giggled at her glare. “I didn’t mean it, my instincts just kicked in, last time someone broke into our house we barely made it without Varvatos and I wanted to be ready.” Ah, the Birdie incident, when he was knocked out – not that he would had been very useful in combat anyway. “Oh you, acting as innocent as Luug after laser peeing on the sofa!” The little slime bucket panted, happy to be called. “I know you were in your room spying, I could hear you and Seamus laughing!” He was not going to tell her that it was actually the math blonde that caused that mayhem. Krel respected him too much after doing that. “What was he doing with you anyway?”

They got to the main corridor, and Zadra was probably already in the control room with Varvatos – judging by just another argument coming from the chamber. They both unconsciously decided to slow down, as Krel smiled slightly.

“Nothing really, we spent some time together. Although he acted pretty unreasonably for most of the day, we managed to… have fun.” It didn’t seem like the rightful word to describe what was he feeling, but it wasn’t the last he would had picked. “And after behaving rather rudely, he decided to make up for it.” Luug jumped out of his sister’s grasp right on his chest. The prince was quick to grab him only to be rewarded by a couple of enthusiastic licks on the face.

“I saw Mary applying that kind of thing on her face, what use could it have on someone’s attitude?” Oh good, so it wasn’t just him. Krel giggled at their pet, putting him down.

“Apparently it’s also a way of saying that after a hurt you are willing to do something for fixing your mistake.” So embracing wasn’t the only way, huh. Ms. Janeth was going to be pleased. “This is why next Saturday we’re going somewhere of his choice.” Considering the blonde in question maybe the planetarium, or perhaps the theatre that was apparently very popular. Trying to imagine what was going to be made his stomach stiffen. In a… good way?

Aja had watched him silently during the explanation, pouting slightly like she always did while being told something – probably to restrain herself from acting less static and more, well, lively. Then she beamed all of the sudden.

“Oh, I get it now! You have been asked on a date!”

Krel stopped abruptly, Luug bumped on his legs. He did not hear correctly.

“… what?”

“He is bringing you somewhere nice to show how he feels. It’s a date, Krel.”

“O-of course it’s not, what in Gaylen’s core are you talking about?”

Aja frowned.

“So it’s a group thing?”

“Well, no, it is just the two of us…”

“Then it’s a date! That is incredible! I am so happy for you!” She jumped excitedly, speeding up towards the control room. “Varvatos, let’s resume today’s training! I am so full of energy right now, I am absolutely certain I’ll be able to get a hit on you!!”

“Glorious!! Varvatos adores this enthusiasm and will reward you with glorious dead!!”

“You will do no such thing, traitor, or so help me…!”

“_Is there something that troubles you, my royal?_” Mother’s not-so-apathic-anymore voice and her bright blue hologram startled him.

Even so, Krel did not move. He looked at the control room, his family, voices so familiar getting louder and louder. He stared at his pup, looking at him happily with no worry in the world. Then he thought about the humans, how their annoying presence was becoming less of a burden and more of a recurrence into his everyday life. And finally, he thought of what was going on with himself and his core, for his entire existence to be revaluated after one single supposition.

He swallowed, then quickly shook his head.

“Not at all.” His voice lowered to a whisper, meant only to only be heard by himself. “It is _not_ a date.” Yet his real concerns resided elsewhere. If that was the case… would he be disappointed?

BONUS

It happened in the middle of the night. A good night of sleep to be specific, after a pretty busy day that surprisingly did not end with his dad pulling a tantrum over his parking skills – but he did argue with Krel, maybe he was cursed to have at least one heated discussion every day. His thoughts were flowing, freed from his daily paranoia, his tiredness denying any kind of sense into them. Not quite dreams, but too abstracts for thoughts.

So while the day that just passed replayed before him, one single realization stroke him, so hardly and unexpectedly he woke up thinking about his alarm. But no ‘Ash Dispersal Pattern’ song could be compared to that. As soon as Seamus blinked enough to have at least a grasp of where his phone was – he had a bad habit of chatting until his body gave up, meaning it could had been under his pillow as much as broken off his bed – he went for the numbers and hit call. The waiting immediately got on his nerves. Luckily the fourth beep was interrupted.

“-Hello?-” There was a pretty loud music on the background. Not the biggest issue at the moment.

“Darci I have a problem!!”

“-What? Seamus? I can’t hear you, hang on!-” She was probably moving somewhere else, the sound was getting muffled. Just far away chatters from unknown voices could be heard. “-Hey, how’s going? Need something?-” That kind of attitude, exactly what he was looking for. Calm, controlled, reliable – the reason why he did not call Logan or Steve.

The blonde took a breath, trying to calm down. 

“I do, I do and I have no idea what… wait a second, where are you?”

“-Dance club.-”

“What? It’s, like, 2 am!”

“-That’s my line, you’re the one who called!-” Darci huffed. “-Apparently Mary got a call from Tight Jeans Hank claiming she messed up his new girlfriend and they argued, so now she wants to take her mind off by dancing until her legs fall off… her words.-” Judging from her tone that was most definitely not what she had in mind to do tonight. It was her best quality though, always being present for her friends. It came in handy very often.

Seamus sat down on his bed, legs on one side. Luckily his dad was a really heavy sleeper, especially after work days – not the best view, with ‘Wheel of Fortune’ on tv and him snoring with his mouth open and half plate of pie on his big belly.

“Like she can’t just get a rebound or something, can I go back to my problem?”

“-Is it that bad?-”

“_So_ bad.”

“-… wait a second.-” There was a digital sound. Weird but he ignored it. “-Alright, spill.-”

“So… remember the conversation we had at the pool, while the Tarrons were inside doing who knows what? When Mary made that joke about me and Tarron and started thinking of a name like Seal or Kreamus?” A snicker and another hum. “And how at the end I was calling her delusional and told her phone cover was dated, and she told me I was a space jerk and in denial?” A final hum. “Well… you know how I can’t exactly control myself…”

Darci went silent, then let out an exasperate sigh.

“-Don’t tell me you and Krel got into an argument.-” That girl was too quick, there was little point into voicing his confirmation. “-Seamus, for real, you need to be more careful. When you, Steve and Logan were out in school terrorizing I was scared of you the most. I don’t want you to get back on old habits.-” She was right voicing her concern. Thinking that they used to believe they were so cool was embarrassing, to say the least. Luckily Steve and Eli became best friends, Logan went back to his old chill self and Seamus… he was trying to find reasons not to lose it completely.

“I know, I know, I messed up. But that’s not it, we actually managed to make up after that.” A weak gasp came to his ear. “I mean, it was not painless, but it was somehow constructive I guess?”

“-Well, that’s good. Then that’s the problem?-”

Seamus took a giant breath, clenched his fist and let it out.

“I wanted to apologize, and while doing that… I think I accidentally asked Tarron on a date.” Silence. “… Darc?” More silence, getting slowly interrupted by a distant whistling sound. “Darci, are you still there?” Then, it hit him. That was not a whistle, that was a _wheeze_. A very familiar one. “You put the phone on speaker, didn’t you.” The wheeze got stronger and stronger. “… there’s Mary with you, isn’t there.” He could almost hear the apologetic smile through the phone.

“-Sorry Seam, when it’s about her there is no place I could run to when there’s a gossip involved.-”

“You have a date!!!” And there it was, the queen bee’s vivacious voice affecting his sleepy ears at two of the morning. His life was wonderful indeed. “O-M-G, I’ve been waiting for this moment for so long! Finally, you hopeless rude space math dork managed to get yourself a special someone! Ah, I feel like I’m going to faint…”

Seamus facepalmed.

“Please do.”

“-Hey, rude! I’m just happy!-”

“Mary turn off the fangirl mode and please focus, okay? I didn’t mean to ask him!!” He rubbed his head, irritated. “I just didn’t want to be a complete jerk to him, that came out of nowhere! Now I’m stuck in this situation where I’m supposed to take this pretty foreign genius somewhere to make up for being absolutely insufferable all day and I can’t do it!!” He placed the phone between his cheek and his shoulder, muffling a scream between his free hands.

He heard a very distinct ‘tsk’. Mary was very coherent to her persona with her tics.

“-Never heard of someone so upset to bring a cute boy out, you really are one of a kind. In a very bad way, that is.-” She made a sound of protest, probably Darci pushed her a little further from the phone since her whining voice went low.

“-Do you really hate it so much? The thought of going on a date with Krel?-”

Seamus breathed through his hands, slowly looking up. He did not bother to turn on the lights, his solar system posters and the various photo of him with his friends were devoured by darkness. But right over his head, distributed on the ceiling, where fluorescent stars and planets, placed to form a believable stellar map as closely as possible. They were so old, the glow was almost absent. But just the slightest light was enough for making him hope.

He sighed, smiling softly to himself.

“It’s not that I hate it… I don’t, actually.” He could hear Mary gasping lovingly. “But I’m finally starting to get along with him just fine, this feels huge. What if I mess up this too?”

Darci laughed tenderly.

“-From what I’m hearing, it feels like you are getting him used to it, so you should be fine.-” Oh how he wished he had something to retort to that. “-Look, the secret to a great date is just to be yourself.-” Yeah right. “-… I mean, that would work if you were the one that got asked to. So no.-” Again, she was too quick. “-You are in charge here, so you have to step in and show what you’re about. Be your _best_ self. Nothing false, just make sure he realizes you’re a good guy.-” Seemed doable. That was what he liked of her, Darci was grounded and very sensed. It made him believe just a little more about himself.

He nodded to himself.

“I guess I can do that.”

“-Just careful with the space geek stuff! Kurt is smart but there’s a fine yet defined line between cute glass boy and cuckoo fanatic.-”

“For your information, Tarron knows I’m into astronomy. And he actually finds it interesting.”

“-… he’s the one, Seam. Goodness gracious don’t let him go.-”

“Great talk Mare.”

“-I just had a vision of a marriage on the moon with vintage music!-”

“Thanks Mare.” The girls laughed, this time Mary was not shoved away.

“-Wow, first Steve, now you. Seems like the Tarrons moved here appositely to take care of our resident bullies. If only grandpa Tarron was one hundred years younger for Logan.-” He rolled his eyes, even if he couldn’t help but smirk. “-Alright, I think you had enough! Look, just don’t stress over it and remember that this is not a one-sided thing. You are also supposed to have fun, okay?” What did you know. That actually weirdly sounded like a good and heartfelt advice. “-I’m happy for you, you space dork.-”

“Thanks, you mad hashtagger.” He smiled, breathing out. “Alright. I think I’m feeling better now.”

“-Nice to hear, eh… nice to hear.” Oh-oh, that guilty voice from Darci again. “-Eh eh… uhm… have I ever told you you have a nice cave? Claire has a big residence and that’s impressive but, I mean, for a typical suburb house it’s really nice.-” Another of her qualities, honesty. That girl was crystalline. “-Just saying…-”

“You’ve been walking for all this time didn’t you.” Silence. “… you’re outside aren’t you.”

“Open the door, we have a week to prepare you and we’re already late!” Seamus ran towards his window and, what a surprise, an black-haired girl was waving like crazy at him while her friend was just looking around awkwardly, hoping no neighbor was going to notice. “When I’ll be done with you, you’ll be able to organize the perfect date with the accuracy of your lame equations and chose the perfect activity to do with a sniff!! Hashtag thequeenisback!” And no, she had no phone in her hand. It was just her way of life.

Seamus closed the window, leaned against the wall and groaned as loudly as the hour permitted. Of course it ended like this, what did he expect? All this troubles and migraines, and for what? His eyes fell on his phone. Mary’s voice disappeared from his mind. His heart started to race, as he searched through the photos. How embarrassing, and he was pretty sure Steve noticed him snapping that picture. And it was so _bad_. Not only it was mostly _his_ back, while only a quick glimpse of _his_ profile was clear, Steve was also there with that dang hand on _his_ shoulder. So annoying. Completely useless. Yet… yet…

The doorbell ringed – the girls came to his house enough times to know his dad’s comatose state during nighttime – and he found himself standing in his room. Wearing a pair of blue boxers and his old and consumed Space Odyssey t shirt. Focused on nothing else but _his_ smart brown eyes.

A hopeless sigh left his lips, as he went to answer the door. What did he agree to?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 50 KUDOS ARE YOU GUYS CRAZY??? Omg thank you so much, I love you all ^///^  
After putting him in various situations I think I have a clearer view of where I'm going with Seamus, especially considering his relationship with his family (included the one I headcanon for him) and his past as a bully. The hate/love friendship with Mary kinda came out like that, I just think they can't get along even if I saw them together a couple of times XD  
This episode was so *u* Seeing my tech baby taking charge was wonderful ^3^ While yeah, in this chapter Seamus is in denial, what do you know ^^" I hope you can understand him, he is kinda working on himself. So yeah, next chapter we get Kreamus first date. Excited? I know I am ^u^
> 
> Sorry for the late, I started to go to University again and it's getting hard to find some free times. Thank you so much for all of your comments, you made my day every time I get your notification ^ ^  
This is it! Leave a kudos, a comment, a toe kick possibly not in my direction or just a nod!  
See ya!! Byee!!
> 
> P.S. If you see some errors please let me know! Also when is Wizards starting? I NEED MORE TOA!!!


	4. Stars are brighter at night

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey there, I'm back! ^ ^ I feel like I'm being annoying with this, but we honestly hit the 70 kudos and I'm just? So happy? Thank you guys so much!! *u*  
The Kreamus date! It gets fluffy, it gets angsty, I definitely had fun ;)  
Enjoy! ^ ^

A wormhole. He just announced he was going to build a generator, for a _wormhole_. And yet still, still he was not feeling the regret, not even once during the so called ‘dinner family’ Mother had organized for all of them. Not even the slightest realization that this could be – mostly because it WAS – an idea as delusional as conceptually impossible. Nope, Krel Tarron, King-in-waiting of a faraway planet called Akiridion-5, a single genius mind lost into the endless vastity of the universe, made a statement to look the laws of physics in the eyes and punch them in the face – being in presence of such a variety of warriors was affecting his rational approach.

It happened right there, with him mindlessly playing with his food while wondering about his mental sanity. The ring came like the furthest realization that there was indeed an entire world moving outside. Varvatos was the first to spring into action, jumping over the table – without dropping a single plate, wow so agile commander – with his serrator in hand.

“An intruder?! Mother, how come you have not warned us??”

“_Well,_ _it appears to be a human registered into my database_.” As soon as the wall dematerialized showing the outside, Seamus’ nervous face came in full view. He was wearing an uncharacteristically elegant blue jacket and his left hand was behind his back for whatever reason. There was something extremely peculiar into his appearance right now. Something that was ringing just another bell. But the days prior were a blur of work, analysis and worry condensed together. Nothing was coming…

“Isn’t that the teen ager that battled the King-in-waiting into a furious war of math? Is he here to take revenge for his inglorious victory??” Somehow their undercover geezer could find a warrior intention everywhere. Zadra frowned, slowly taking the commander’s side.

“This_ is_ awfully suspicious, we have not seen him or the other less experienced humans since the pool event.” The _pool_. The invasion, the game, the pool. The prank, the argument, the revenge, the clarification. And the invite. All those precise little steps came together gradually, making Krel feel more and more horrified. And as soon as he remembered Seamus’ excited smile as he accepted his hanging out idea, he dearly wished for Lucy’s meatloaf to come to life and swallow him.

“Seklos and Gaylen! We were supposed to hang out tonight!”

Aja let her fork drop and beamed at him.

“Of course, your date with Seamus!”

“Yah’ve got a date with Johnson junior?! Why don’t I know about that??”

“It is _not_ a date, Aja!” His sister simply giggled. Krel was too deep into his shame to care, even for the suddenly very interested durian. “Kleb, I can’t believe I forgot, I am never this forgetful.” And that went beyond the numerous scientific notions stored inside his superior mind. After all he might had thought about this event. Just a little. For a few nights. Just a little. Then Mother’s system caught his attention, frustration, the realization that flying was out of option, frustration, Tronos Madu… Ah, but that was irrelevant. He was the only one with at least the slightest chance of creating a wormhole. With Morando repairing his main ship and assembling an even bigger army, their time was running out. He was needed here.

Mother was looking at him, or at least her hologram seemed very attentive.

“_My royal_?” Her tone was concerned, she really changed from her first installation.

“It’s fine, give me a mekron. I will elaborate an excuse for cancelling our programmed event.”

“You mean your da-”

“I said it is not a date!!” Aja kept those mocking eyes fixed on him. “After talking to him I’ll start working on the wormhole generator as soon as the dinner family will be completed.” Wow, it was happening almost too frequently, the fact that the fate of their survival resided into his engineer skills. The Daxial Array, the ship, now this. Never before him being him proved to be this important, it was nice. Even outstanding, in better circumstances.

Zadra nodded.

“It does seem to be the best course of action.”

“Agree, although Varvatos still thinks pulverizing would be way faster!”

Krel rolled his eyes, ignoring Aja’s pout and Stuart still dreamy expression. Uncharacteristically, Mother did not make a sound. Considering how hard she had tried to be heard during the entire delson, with them too busy trying to come up with a plan and not die – such an overused pattern at that point – to listen, it was rather unusual. But there wasn’t much room to deal with that, Seamus looked really nervous, almost scared, ringing at the door once again.

As the prince opened the door and peaked outside, a knuckle hit his forehead. He winced, more for the surprise than the pain, while the blonde immediately went on him.

“Ah, sorry! You weren’t answering so I thought of knocking and…! Ah, way to go Johnson!” There he was again, the facepalm – Toby had clarified to him the official name.

Krel massaged his forehead, stepping outside and closing the door behind him.

“It is alright, I was keeping you waiting for a long time. Regarding my prolonged absence, there is something I must tell you, huh...” Before he could touch the matter his eyes fell on the other’s hands, specifically the one that was now showing a handful of purple plants. “... why would you purposely kill living beings like that?” For all this time he thought they both shared the same brainy attitude, while he had been a warrior all along?

Seamus blinked at him, pointing at the bunch.

“You mean…? Don’t you give flowers as presents in Cantaloupia?”

“I fail to see how an offering of deceased organisms could be considered a gift.” They had flowers in their house, but only because of Mother’s camouflage. So it was a human thing apparently. Another unexplainable occurrence.

“If you put them in water they should be fine, don’t worry.” Seamus scratched his neck, all flustered. “You know, these... they actually have a meaning. Uhm, iris means rainbow in Greek, a symbol of peace and infinity. And according to the language of flowers, irises represent faith, hope, wisdom. A-admiration. Purple ones in particular, they suggest royalty. Heh, I thought it might be appropriate since, well, ‘your majesty’ and everything…” He took a breath, his fingers white around the flowers. “It’s just... uhm, I didn’t exactly know how to... dang it, come on! I-”

“They can’t talk.”

The math blonde stared at him. 

“Huh?” Krel inclined his head.

“Vegetables are not able to speak, how can they possess a full language? Or such a vocabulary? Also I doubt beings in absence of a conscience would be able to understand concepts like wisdom or infinity.” He was not fond of plants, especially trees; that didn’t mean he hadn’t made researches about them. One of Earth’s main peculiarity was the ideal conditions for biological life, it was only fair knowing a little more about it. And even if there were plants perfectly able to eat other beings and even ‘walk’, there was no such thing as a flower speaking full sentences to him, he was sure.

Seamus stayed still for a moment, looking at him in disbelief. All of the sudden, all his nervousness melted in a soft smile. The quiet buzzing of Arcadia’s summer stopped mattering.

“You’re right, what am I doing?” He breathed in, then gently took his hand to put the plants in it. “These flowers are for you, I hope you like them. I think you’re really smart and cool, and I kinda admire you for that.” His eyes never left his fingers until the bunch wasn’t in his grasp. The coloration was beautiful, a touch of white and yellow at the center of the petal turning into purple towards the edges. Everything was glowing on Akiridion-5, yet this tint had a brightness of its own. Like it didn’t have to shine for being seen.

Krel gaped at him, looking down at the careful composition of herbs. What a weird gift. For a weird person nonetheless. He held the bunch with two hands closer to his core, smelling tentatively. It was sweet. That thought was a shiver through his entire body.

“I... I don’t know what to say.”

“Well that’s a first.” It got him to pout, yet he couldn’t hold back a smirk while looking at the blond math in such good spirits. “This is just a little taste of what I can do!”

“I am not exactly looking forward to see how many living beings you can murder.” Oh that look definitely said ‘you know what I mean’. And he got it for once. Krel smiled, looking closely at the other. “It is unusual to see you without a black shirt. Not unpleasant though.” He was pretty sure he never saw him wearing anything else before, maybe someone needed to change his wardrobe – or standard clothes... just saying.

Seamus grinned.

“It's nothing, I just thought of putting on something a little nicer for tonight! Besides, this is probably the only nice jacket I have... aaand I wasn’t supposed to say that.” He murmured something under his breath, definitely a curse, that made the prince laugh. The math blonde smiled awkwardly at him, shrugging. “So... you’re ready to go?”

Krel’s smile froze. Oh right. He swallowed.

“Well, you see, there is something I need to tell you. I’m…” That little encouraging smile was very distracting. His eyes were kinda red, irritated, like he didn’t sleep much. His car was parked not too far away, ready for them. Ready for _him_. “I’m… I’m still preparing myself. Would you mind waiting here for five more mekr, uh, minutes? I shall also put these corpses into water like you suggested.” Seamus snickered and nodded. Krel closed the door and stared at it, overwhelmed, the flowers tight in his hand. Asking himself what in Seklos’ name just happened.

In those conditions Varvatos went peaking on him, looking skeptical.

“The King-in-waiting does not have the face of a winner! Weren’t you supposed to strike down the intruder with the power of your words?” In all response Mother showed the outside once again. “Disappointing. Varvatos knew pummeling was a much more efficient way of getting rid of enemies.” He raised a fist, laughing maniacally. “At last, I shall be the one to vanquish him!”

Zadra crossed her arms, looking at him in thought.

“Perhaps your order was not received, my liege? Humans are quite dense after all.” 

“Aw, such a nice gesture!” Lucy hopped her way to the prince, looking with glee at the flowers. “I’ll put these jewels in water so they won’t wilt!” She took the plants and glitched. “Weeeeeee’ll treat you like no one ever did, at our splendid new resort ‘The Palms’ in San Bernardino! Prenote your vacation soon!” She shook her head, smiling like nothing happened. The vase that usually contained that colorful florescence emptied digitally, to leave space for those… _irises_. That was the name. His eyes naturally went to them once again. Wisdom and admiration, huh?

Only when Aja put herself right in front of his eyes he realized all the extraterrestrial forms in the room were looking at him – even Luug, although he probably just wanted a ball to be thrown. His sister seemed concerned.

“Are you okay, little brother?”

Krel opened his mouth, a whine came out. He covered it and shook his head.

“I… I don’t know. I don’t know! I was going to cancel our meeting, but then he gave me these dead organisms as a gift and said the flowers believed me to be smart and cool, and then _he_ said I am smart and cool, and then he told me he possesses just one visibly pleasing jacket and before I knew it I… I…!” He put a hand over his head, ruffling his own hair. “Maybe I overworked during this week, this doesn’t make a flexel of sense.” Also he didn’t catch much sleep. That was probably the reason why his stomach felt so messed up all of the sudden.

Aja smiled softly at him.

“You did a lot during these days, and we are all tired.” She yawned right on cue, shaking her head. “And… and I think this could be a good chance to have a break. I mean, going on a date-” She ignored his glare. “Sounds like the perfect opportunity to have some fun!… even if Seamus is a peculiar boy, I mean, plants cannot talk.” 

“That’s what I said!”

“Well, what Varvatos says is that this human is testing our patience! First he wastes our time with a Duel of Math, then he challenges our door expecting access, now he bothers the King-in-waiting with lies about speaking vegetables! Varvatos Vex is getting tired, he wants action! Or for the annoying freckled to leave immediately!” Once again the wrinkly commander flexed towards glory. Once again his back cracked way before he could touch it – it was becoming a pretty funny recurrent scene. Zadra didn’t seem against him, but voicing his agreement was probably premature considering they got to a truce only that same night.

Stuart, on the other hand, was snickering terribly with his nose, still at his place on the table swallowing the malodorous meatloaf with clear satisfaction.

“Yah guys are cracking me up!” In all response Varvatos’ serrator brushed his nose. “Whoa, hold it just a moment Vexy! Look, going into details on why giving flowers is a perfectly normal present here probably won’t make much difference.” Stuart gave the prince a wink. “All I’m saying is that I think yah should go. Yah could discover Earth’s dates have a certain appeal.”

“Not a date, I said!!” Krel sighed, looking at Seamus, still waiting patiently for him. What was he supposed to do? He couldn’t let him wait unreasonably forever! But it seemed like there was a tie on what to do between his comrades, and he had no idea which side was the one to take. His mind was solid: there was a wormhole that most certainly wasn’t going to be generated by itself, and a home planet that was definitely not going to help them and come closer. But something else was also quite convincing, an unknown urge to just get out there. See what might happen while stepping out of his usual comfort zone.

“_My royal, might I make a suggestion?_” The most helpful voice at the moment. And they heard that precise sentence before, deciding not to follow the advice of an advanced Artificial Intelligence had proven to be a bad choice – every embarrassing time they did. So he quickly nodded. “_First of all, could you turn off your transduction?_”

“What? Why?”

“_Please comply._” Krel shrugged and did so, stretching his arms into his Akiridion form. Mother’s hologram appeared in front of him, and from his circular shape a blue ray connected with his serrator. The weapon reacted by pulsing twice.

“Did you just reprogram my serrator?”

“_I merely added a new feature that you might enjoy. Now, please, turn on the transduction again._”

Confused, intrigued, he followed her instructions. He looked at himself and found surprised a new attire, less casual than the last one: a dark green turtleneck – the neck of a reptile? – with long sleeves, in a tint that reminded him of the forest during nighttime; a pair of khakis – wasn’t that a type of fruit? – of a light brown like the Blanks’ flapjacks; and finally a leather belt and a pair of black shoes with no laces.

Aja was changing angle around him so she could see every part of his new appearance. Her enthusiasm was really invading sometimes, even if not unappreciated.

“You look absolutely lively, Krel!” It wasn’t the important issue at the moment. After all, what Mother was suggesting was pretty evident now.

“You want me to go?”

“_And be back before midnight. Teenagers tend to have peculiar encounters after that hour, apparently involving orange vegetables turning into vehicles… also just because you implemented the transduction into your serrator does not mean you are allowed to break the curfew._” That colorful tone, it was so sincere for a machine. Not enough to convince him though.

“But the wormhole! And _you_! There is so much to do here right now, not to mention I’d have to interrupt the dinner! What do you think about that?”

“_I think, now that we are united, this will not be our last dinner family. And I think you will succeed into creating a wormhole only if you will find yourself into your best conditions, physically, mentally and emotionally. This._” Her hologram turned towards the blonde, looking at his phone. “_I think will do you good. But of course I cannot make this decision for you. It is your own choice._” This advanced program, so reasonable and complex, was pushing him into going on a trip with a human just for the sake of having fun and feel better. How could such a clear technological failure make him feel so proud of a simple AI?

Krel looked at Seamus, still on the edge, waiting patiently. Waiting for _him_. Something of his new attire urged him to show himself for his resemblance, and not for his brain. Just for him to see how he looked now. _Weird_. He smiled.

“… I believe I wanna go.”

“My little brother on his first date!!”

“Krel, yah never stop being lovely! This is so romantic!”

“That’s enough, you two, listen to me this instant!!” The prince stepped in, turning towards the two excited puppies – maybe three, with a Luug that really wanted to play, or just more meatloaf. “This is merely an occasion Johnson prepared to apologize, it has nothing remotely to do with any local courting ritual! Did I make myself clear??” Considering his sister’s annoying snicker and Stuart’s phone appearing out of nowhere to snap some photos, the answer was negative.

Zadra looked very disapproving – or that was her standard expression, he had known her his entire life and still couldn’t be sure. She reached him, sighing gravely.

“I disagree with this decision, for it might be dangerous… but I would never oppose to my King’s decision, and his will to be happy.” Her eyes softened, it was a look he reserved only to them. “Keep your phone on, your serrator as close as your core and, for the great Gaylen, stay safe.”

“Lieutenant Zadra speaks Varvatos’ words.” The old geezer put a hand on his shoulder. “Considering Tronos Madu’s last attack it is unlikely another bounty hunter will follow his example this soon, but as the humans say, ‘better safe than sorry’… although for Varvatos’ enemies, he definitely prefers the second option!” He laughed once again, keeping a solid grasp on him.

Krel swallowed, shaking his head. They seemed so worried, and about what? A hanging out event between a relatively smart human and a genius? Ridiculous.

“Uhm, I shall go, Johnson is probably worried about my delay.” He himself didn’t feel like waiting any longer.

“_Do not worry, I sent the Blank so he could entertain him in your absence._”

“Oh good, that is a relie- WHAT??”

“_Have a good evening_.” His sister was definitely having the time of her life behind his back, as he got outside. There it was, his poor rival, holding his hand for dear life with a smiling Blank right in front of him. Too late. Another blonde getting handled by his fake parent.

“Urgh, i-it’s a pleasure to meet you too, Mr. Tarron.”

“Well, gosh! Such a polite young man, my champ sure knows how to choose them! Don’t be so on the edge, son, just call me dad!”

“… excuse me?” Great Gaylen, only on Earth, that kind of shame.

“Ahaha, thanks for the introduction, huh, dad! We will be going now, please go back inside with, huh, mom, and Aja! There is absolutely nothing for you to do that involves talking with Johnson! See you later!!” With his luck Mother was monitoring them, with all of his family watching. How he missed the time when he was on the mocking side of the Mothership. “Huh, look, about that…” Krel turned to the blonde, trying to come up quickly with some kind of excuse – “Being weird is a genetic thing, you should see my sister with devilish burritos!”

But all Seamus was focused on was him. In absolute awe, while still holding his crushed hand with the good one. He blinked twice, before finally looking lucid.

“Ah, uhm… you changed clothes.”

Krel frowned. Neither of their mental capabilities was needed to come to that conclusion.

“Correct.” The blonde simply nodded, walking awkwardly towards the car without saying a word. Not much could be understood from behind his back, but it seemed like some kind of personal struggling – his ears were red again, such a peculiar phenomenon. The prince couldn’t do much but follow him, giving only one last look behind. Hopefully he wasn’t going to regret all the time spent on something that wasn’t able to destroy the laws of physics. Somehow he could hear every painful sekton lost that was never going to come back…

A thud woke him up. Once again the car door was opened before him. Seamus was smiling, still red, still _bright_. He bowed with one hand over his chest, the other keeping the entrance wide.

“Your chariot awaits, your majesty.” That one expression he already heard from Stuart – luckily. “Tonight I prepared something special for you. I promise, no matter what I have to invent to get that nice brain’s attention, you’re gonna like it.” Ah, he knew he appreciated praises about his intelligence, the sneaky human. Krel sat on the passenger’s seat, trying not to act too fazed. The organizer of the night quickly closed the car door and took place at the driver’s spot, assuring the seatbelt and taking a deep breath before giving him a side glance. “How about some music?”

The prince hesitated. A brief discussion with Toby and Eli had cleared out a lot about his tastes.

“Sure, but outside my disc jockey career, you might find my musical interests to be quite old.”

“Oh might I?” Seamus smirked, turning on the music device in his car. To his surprise a familiar tune took form inside the vehicle, an irresistible rhythm combined with a catchy frequency that had caught his attention the moment he first landed his eyes on a vinyl. His fingers started to tap on their own over the seat, controlled by that melody.

“Vintage…”

“Hey, a classic is a classic for a reason.” Seamus hummed the tune until the lyrics started, turning on the car. “Alright, if we go now we should arrive at the perfect hour, right when the tourists realize they don’t have enough light for their shots. This way hopefully finding a parking spot for our little escape will be easy.” He directed the vehicle into the road, turning on the lights. Seeing the black path illuminated was kinda mesmerizing.

“Escape? Uhm, you failed to mention where are we going exactly.”

“That’s why it’s called a surprise! Don’t worry, it’s just ten minutes out of town.”

“Wait, we are leaving Arcadia?” The blonde nodded, paying full attention on the driving. “I did not expect to leave our residence.”

“It wasn’t planned at first but Mary said- I, I mean, _I_ said, uhm, that instead of going somewhere predictable I should go with my guts and think of something special. I’ve been there a lot when I was younger.” That wasn’t particularly comforting, but luckily the math blonde was getting better at catching his unsure glares. “It’s just, if you can trust me a little, I promise I thought about you a lot for this.” The warm embarrassment caught them both. “I-I want you to have a good time, that’s all.” There was no telling how much he thought about this evening, but if his mathematic preparation was any indicator, this guy could accumulate a pretty impressive knowledge whenever he put his mind into something. It was just a matter of mekrons after all.

Krel looked behind, the Mothership was beyond his sight already. He never escaped when they were on Akiridion-5, that was Aja’s trademark. And the only times he did it on this planet involved his sister, or that moment he saw him in the park. It felt… exciting. Like it was _their_ secret.

He grabbed a ledge of the car door, just to have something to hold on to.

“Very well.” A weird smile moved on his face. “Let us escape.”

Seamus’ grin was so wide he saw it without turning.

“You got it!” He dramatically turned on the music, suddenly accelerated, and from that moment Krel couldn’t stop laughing.

Just like the blonde said, it didn’t take long. Yet so many black trees streamed outside the window. Leaving Arcadia felt weird, mostly considering that even after being stranded for 42 delsons they never bothered visiting other parts of planet Earth. Krel heard something about incredibly high pile of dirt covered in frozen water, huge areas completely surrounded by open nature – what a nightmare – and an infinite concentration of water all over the surface. Perhaps in another occasion it would had been interesting observing the different environments the humans had learnt to live in. After all it was really absurd how different it was from Akiridion-5, almost of a fascinating level.

At some point they turned, getting into one of the famous parking lots where humans needed paint to remind them how to correctly position their cars – ah, gloobers indeed. Krel tried to look around, but it was getting really dark outside and he couldn’t see well.

“Is this the destination? Where are we?”

“Quit asking questions and go find out, where is your spirit of adventure?”

“I believe I lost it the moment I discovered how to do logarithms.” That snicker was really satisfying for some reason. The prince grabbed the handle but couldn’t get out. Seamus smirked and once again went out to open his car door, offering him a hand. He really took this royalty thing seriously – if only he knew how coherent he was being.

“It used to trap me too, this old junk. It took me a while but I learnt how to fight back.” Oh, warrior training, Aja was going to be pleased… wait, for what? It wasn’t like he needed his sister approval or something. “Come on.”

He walked towards the edge, leading him. Right there it could be seen a wide area, illuminated by yellow lamps all over. Krel’s attention was immediately caught by the complex of stands, disposed to form some kind of circular path. But instead of being impeccable structures alimented by Akiridion energy, all the stalls were kept together by pillars made of wood and big cloths – unpractical, what a surprise. A few humans were walking around, smiling and enjoying themselves between objects to buy, small attractions and food. A couple of women with a very jumpy child, two geezers chatting in front of a stall, a group of kids lead by a very distressed man. The scene was circled by bright decoration hanging between the stands, crossing the various lamps.

It was raw and disorganized. Familiar. Earth had its own way of being coherent.

“This looks nice.” Seamus sighed in relief, then quickly covered his mouth.

“Heh, of course it is! _I_ chose it, totally wasn’t scared of your reaction or anything!” Oh, good thing he mentioned, Krel might had thought about it. The blonde scratched the back of his neck, looking at the place. There was something weird about his expression. “It is pretty nice… have you ever been on a fair before?”

“A fair what? A fair tribunal?”

“I’ll take that as a no, then. I have nothing against our museum but even after that strict Japanese lady left it’s still creepy at night. So I’m sorry if it’s not anything very cultural or mind stimulating, but I would trade my A+s for the funnel cakes they do here anytime.”

“A cake made of funnel?”

“Let’s just start with some cotton candy.” Again, one confused expression was enough for him. “Really? Not even that? Wow, I have many things to show you, let’s go!” It was relief it didn’t discourage him. It actually seemed to motivate him.

The place wasn’t as crowded as many social gatherings he had explored before – not like academic prison at least –, even the people dealing with the stands were silent, looking around in search for the last clients. It was getting darker, the moon was far too present. Krel sniffed the air and smiled, it was sweet and warm, like the cocoa Mother made for him once. The mindless situation was pleasant, yet it got him just a wave of anxiety as he looked around. Not even the time to enjoy the fall of the Zeron Brotherhood that Tronus Madu had appeared. Right now there was no sign of hunters, nor menaces, but who knew what was lurking in the dark, waiting for a chance to attack.

He jumped when Seamus came back. He barely saw him disappear, and now he was giving him some kind of white cloud attached to a stick. Krel took it, shaking it a little. That fluffy consistence caught him off guard.

“Peculiar. What is its use?”

“You eat it, man, it’s sugar.”

“But it is not solid enough to bite it, nor liquid enough to drink it.”

“Just do it like this.” Seamus took a bit of ‘cotton candy’ and formed a little ball, putting it into his mouth. Krel imitated him, a little wary, but as soon as the sweet flavor melted into his mouth he beamed at him. The blonde snickered. “Oh yeah, that’s the face of someone having cotton candy for the first time.” The prince recurred to the same method again, licking his sticky fingers, following the other in the meanwhile. “This is the taste of childhood at the fair, or at an amusement park if you wanna be… oh, would you look at that!”

Krel looked up from his already half clean cloud to see a particular stand, different from the others. Various fluffy objects were left hanging, and the fact that empty cans were neatly exposed was definitely weird. But what caught his attention was what was left on the counter.

“Are those… weapons?”

“You bet, it’s a shooting gallery!” The blonde immediately ran to it, the old man guarding the place jumped a little. “I swear, it looks just like the one from when I was little. It’s been a while… but I bet I’m still good at this!” He picked up one of the guns, grinning at him. “Up for a challenge?” Krel stared at him in disbelief. How could he be so excited?! Could it be that this human was indeed a warrior? Or worse? First the dead plants, now this…

The prince swallowed the sugary cloud more slowly.

“W-what does this challenge consist in?”

“It’s easy, you just have to hit the targets, but you only have five shots. If you hit enough of them, you get a prize!” He _smiled_. Oh, kleb. This human was crazy. He should had known not to trust a blonde so unexplainably good at math. Was there more than one human out there to kill? Was this actually worse than bounty hunters after all?? A trigger was pulled, Krel covered his head instinctively, the empty stick fell on the ground. But right after there was a sound from the stand: one of the can got hit and shifted a little.

Krel looked at the blonde dumbfounded.

“… what are you doing?” Seamus grunted.

“Losing, apparently. I guess I’m a bit rusty after all.” He shrugged at him. “In my defense I haven’t played this since forever, and aiming right is super hard… hey, are you okay? You look kinda sweaty.” Of course he would had noticed, this biological reaction was as disgusting as evident. But at least it was merely from relief. In retrospect, he might had overreacted a little – those weapons looked so fragile Varvatos yawning could destroy them. The situation seemed to be mostly serene and harmless, and he did agree to this in order to have some fun.

“I am perfectly fine, it is probably the summer season. I will give it a try, although I do not excel at the art of shooting.” Many battles and many knock-outs proved that to him and everyone else. He picked up the gun. It had a standard trigger mechanism, the material was light, the appearance even graceful. This weapon was not meant for a war. He didn’t know something meant for a specific destiny could change so radically…

Seamus shrugged, shooting again. This time it hit the wall.

“Ah, man!… well, to be honest, the only reason I started doing this was because of a plushie. It was one of the prizes, it needed… huh, I don’t remember how many cans, but every year it was my goal. I would stay all day just to try and get it.” He shrugged. “Never did. One year it just wasn’t there anymore, so I guess someone won it instead.”

“That’s unfortunate.”

“Meh, you grow up. I was upset only at the time because I wasn’t going to hug it, I was just a kid after all. It was cool though, a big green _alien_, with the round head and all the rest… oh, you missed. And you’re still sweating, you sure you’re okay?” How uncomfortable, how very, very embarrassing. Almost as much as that time Eli made him watch that one episode of Earth Invaders – “You don’t even need a costume to cosplay now!”

Krel swallowed and tried to aim. No matter how much he sucked in battle and rejected the idea, war was still able to drag him in. He pulled the trigger and, to his surprise, one of the can fell.

“Seklos and Gaylen.” Aja would had gone crazy.

“Whoa, what? It’s on, dude!” Seamus scooted closer, their shoulders touched just for a moment. A sudden shock of excitement made the prince want to try again. It wasn’t for his own safety. It wasn’t to train himself and be a better warrior – the toughest task, he knew. All he was doing was targeting garbage, struggling for prizes he really didn’t need. It was indeed a matter of calculating, but just like the blonde he wasn’t very good at the practice. Yet he was getting into this. They kept going, chatting mindlessly, snickering at each other whenever one of them missed.

At the end of another session Seamus left the weapon on the counter, glaring at him. Krel frowned.

“What?”

“You said you weren’t good at it!”

“I barely hit four cans, I wouldn’t say it to be a successful shooting performance. Although I guess it is acceptable, considering the alternative…” He got shoved a little by the blonde, who impressively managed to brush almost every can without dropping a single one. “It’s still one outstanding result, I bet every can will now fear your next attack!” Another shove, that finally broke him into laughter. That blonde’s frown was too much.

Seamus still kept his upset stare on him, although it was clear he was keeping a smile to himself.

“You’re having a blastover this, aren’t you?”

“Perhaps a blaster would make more damage. Then again, you would miss anyway.”

“No way! I used that expression before, you’re just playing with me!” He circled the prince’s neck with his arm. “I knew you were evil somehow, Tarron!” His laugh was very contagious.

Before Seamus could take the gun again the old man stood up, snapping his fingers.

“It’s you! Now I remember!” They both stared at him in confusion. “Sorry, I just felt like I’ve seen you somewhere before and couldn’t figure it out. That story with the alien plushie was so familiar, now I see why! You’re so much bigger now!” The old man leaned on the counter, grinning a toothless smile – whoa, was that Varvatos’ destiny?

Seamus blinked, looking at the place with different eyes.

“So this is really the same stand?”

“You bet it is, my boy, I missed your enthusiasm at my gallery. I see you brought some friends.” Krel awkwardly waved at him. “So, how are your parents?”

The blonde’s serene smile froze. 

“My parents?” Suddenly the air got chiller.

“Well sure, you used to come here with them. Your father would always try to negotiate to pay less for this game, considering how many sessions you would play, while your mother would bring me some lemonade during the sunniest hour of the day. Such a lovely woman, you have the same expression. And the same hair, of course.” He looked like a nice geezer. Sometimes it was hard to remember not all the senior citizens on this planet were as grumpy as his commander.

“Lovely… woman?” That whisper was so loud and powerful Krel felt it inside. Again, that expression. Tense, painful, on fire. Like everything was going to explode around him.

“Johns-”

“Of course she is a lovely woman, _ha_! Who could say the opposite? She is so kind, so thoughtful, so empathetic, so present! Oh, but wait.” The blonde looked around, all of his movements felt heavy and cruel. “Where is she? Where is this wonderful human being? Maybe she is waiting back at the car, or maybe she is somewhere to grab more lemonade?” His hands tightened into fists. “Or maybe, just maybe, she is nowhere to be seen! Maybe she doesn’t even know I’m here! Maybe she just doesn’t care, that lovely woman!” He hit the counter, the poor man was so startled he couldn’t move. “I bet it’s hard to believe, huh?? I bet you wouldn’t believe she is a lying-” He growled, face red, eyes wide open. Then he just left, walking angrily away from the stand.

“Johnson!!” Krel gave a quick look to the old man before running after him. 

Seamus was absolutely fuming, hitting harshly the ground with his steps. At this point it wasn’t a first. Just like Eli couldn’t help being invasive, Toby couldn’t help being enthusiastic and Steve couldn’t help being… well, Steve. It wasn’t even a purely humane characteristic. But right now, it seemed to be different: there was specific reason behind that reaction. And Krel being the scientist he was, he couldn’t help looking for the source, the cause.

Just to make that heaviness into his core go away.

He tried to keep up with his furious pace, trying to avoid too much attention. Then, suddenly, there was a box. A big box, high like a person, large like two with the mere protection of a black curtain at the entrance. Colorful. Unusual. But opportune. Krel waited for them to be close, then pushed the other inside. The surprise played well considering their different weights, so Seamus found himself inside, stumbling into the seating spot. There was a screen right in the front, some kind of computer. For now, it wasn’t of his interest.

The blonde looked at him angrily.

“What gives?!”

“You tell me what does it give! I was not the one that left without explanation!” No word, just a glare. Those eyes that could catch fire. “It appears it has something to do with your family, which doesn’t surprise me. But your mother…” That was the forbitten term, the ‘taboo’ word as humans would say. It immediately changed his expression, more intense, pure red. The moment he tried to open his mouth Krel, without thinking, simply snapped his finger over his forehead – just like he would had done with Luug in case he did something bad.

Seamus turned off all of the sudden, looking at him in disbelief.

“What the-”

“Do not start, okay?” Kleb, it was supposed to come out mighty and demanding, just like a king. Yet his voice dropped and softened all of the sudden. “I fail to understand exactly what triggered your mood this time, what does it have to do with your past. But this is not pleasant for either of us. And…” He took a deep breath. “I don’t like it, when you are feeling like this.” He really didn’t understand how Aja could be so open and sincere. It was humiliating and exhausting.

Yet maybe the light into his eyes compensated a little. Just a little. Seamus whined, his fury slowly fading. He grabbed his own hair.

“… I know. I get it, okay? It’s an awful show. Dang it! Why do I always lose it?? Why do I…??” He sighed, looking at him. “I’m sorry, it was supposed to be a fun night. I ruined everything again.” His eyes were even more irritated now. Planning this, getting mad, feeling sorry, all of this was reflecting into his blueness.

Krel took place near him. The space was very little, but not uncomfortable.

“It _is_ a fun night. I’m enjoying myself.”

“_Was_. Look, if you wanna go home I understand.”

“Are you a soolian?” For once it was him looking confused after one particular word. “You can’t expect everything to go according to plan, it is simply not possible. Trust me, I know that very well.” A normal Coronation Day? No way. Not being attacked during their permanence on Earth? Unlikely. Trying to fix the Mothership while finding a way to resist the attacks of a very furious voltarian? Such a change of plan had somehow made him consider wormholes. “You were mad, now you calmed down. That is good. We may now proceed with our escape further, if you want.”

Seamus was still down. His eyes were deep, concentrated, like he was seriously considering every possibility. When he looked up he was smiling, warily and hopefully.

“You really wanna keep dealing with me?”

“I do. Also I believe it has been promised to me a chokepoint cake.”

“A chokepo- Oh my gosh, the _funnel_ cake? Are you serious?” He laughed, finally, and the warm summer air came back full force. “… wait a second, are we in a photo booth?” He went over the screen, looking at the options. “Everything today is so nostalgic. Well we’re here, you wanna take a pic with me? For the memories.” He set up something over the console, Krel decided to leave the amateur to deal with a type of technology he was familiar with.

“Well, alright. But I do not think this technology will provide better pictures than your phon-” The shot caught him completely off guard. “Hey! I was not ready!”

“It’s automatic. Oh, and be careful, if you don’t think fast you might miss it…”

“Miss what?” Another shot. “Ah! Seriously??”

“Very sorry, your majesty!” That was most definitely not an apologetic expression. “Be sure to develop some better reflexes this time!” That grin was simply asking for it.

“You be sure to show off your only good jacket then!!” With a bit of a raised voice a very flustered math blonde got perfectly captured by the camera. He looked at him, dumbfounded, an expression the prince took very much pride from. Then slowly the math blonde became more aware, with a very intimidating smile.

“You are so dead.”

Truth to be told, he had been captured by many vindictive beings. Held just by as many. He definitely wasn’t snickering like now, while that arm was faking a choke over his neck. They were both laughing hysterically. Krel’s cheeks were on fire, his breath was heavy. It almost stopped when Seamus brought him even closer. The space was so little. He wasn’t even looking at him, his ecstatic smile was all for the camera. And the prince mimicked him, trying to concentrate on anything that wasn’t his arm embracing him.

The final click. Seamus signaled to get out, he didn’t have to tell twice. Krel breathed out as silently as he could, distractively touching his warm cheeks. It was definitely the photo booth, so little and without aeration. And the summer, so hot and unbearable. From a little squared hole on the machine, two set of photos dropped. He picked one up, smiling. Seamus looked so happy it didn’t seem him. The picture seemed almost too real, like he could talk through the paper. It was… pretty.

“These are nice memories.”

“Told you.” Seamus took his part, having a look. “Eh, why having normal photos when these are way better?” His eyes slowly went down, then his smile disappeared. “… wow.” His face was absolutely unreadable, especially for him. Krel got a little closer, trying to find his eyes.

“You don’t like them?”

The blonde woke up from his torpor. He looked at him in awe, switching from the picture to the real one. He smiled, so delicately it didn’t seem real.

“I think I have a favorite one.” When his eyes went to just another stand, filled with any kind of clothes, his expression lightened up again. “Let’s have a look around, there’s a lot of stuff to see!” He put a hand on his back and pushed him forward. There was no need for that. Krel didn’t mind that inutility.

Apparently, to cover their fragile skin, humans had managed to create over the years a concerning variety of clothing. Just the headgears were multiple and of so many different shapes – Seamus insisted to try a few of them, making such expressions the prince had failed to keep his laughter. After a quick break of funnel cakes – apparently it was a requirement in this ‘fair’ for everything to be delicious –, they went back to the gallery of shooting, where the blonde managed to apologize for his behavior to a very comprehensive geezer. He didn’t explain himself, nor his reasons. Krel decided not to investigate further, to preserve the mood.

During their wondering between stands he somehow found himself trying to wear… whatever this long piece of cloth was supposed to be. He tried to wrap it around his head, while Seamus covered his face with a hand. The redhaired woman behind the stand giggled as well.

Krel frowned, turning to his human friend.

“Is this the correct way?”

“Nowhere near, no.” He tried to put it around his left arm, earning another snicker. “Nope, still wrong. Look, you use it in winter, when it’s cold. It’s supposed to cover your neck and face.” Oh, like Zadra’s scarf, but way less practical and cool. Krel put it over his nose just like the lieutenant, tying the cloth behind his neck and letting the edges fall on his back. He tried to strike some warrior poses and Seamus shook his head, giggling like mad. “You have to be doing this on purpose, Tarron… hold on a moment, what time is it?” He quickly checked his phone. “Okay, not bad, but we gotta move now or we’re gonna lose the show.”

Krel took off the scarf, putting it back on the stand.

“What show?”

“The main reason I wanted to bring you here! Follow me.”

It was a matter of going back to the parking lot, apparently. Just a little further from, where all of the fair could be seen. It was nowhere near the most breathtaking view he had ever seen – on Akiridion-5 his trips into space were more numerous than his walks into a park –, but it had its beauty. Little. Cozy. Warm. There was a bench made of stone, looking very old but still solid, covered in green on one side. Seamus took a seat, gesturing for the other to do the same. The night was so calm, pleasantly warm. The faintest buzzing of nature for once didn’t get on his nerves.

The prince traced their walk at the fair with his eyes, smiling mindlessly. For now, that was as far as he wanted to go with his mind. None of the problems left at the ship. Just this.

“May I ask about this or is it another so called surprise?”

“I’d like to say the second, but it’s kinda obvious we’re going to see fireworks. I mean, what else should we be waiting for?”

“… what are fire-”

“No way, you’ve never seen fireworks?!” Krel shook his head, and Seamus beamed at him. “This is perfect! I’m sure you’re gonna love them, pyrotechnics is an art as much as science, it takes a lot of creativity but a vast knowledge about reactions and chemistry as well.” That definitely sounded appealing. “I haven’t seen this in a while. I hope it’s as good as I remember.” A very nostalgic smile appeared on him. His thoughts were somewhere else, it was evident. But at least they didn’t seem to be as unpleasant as before.

The prince glanced at him. The jacket looked nice. It was a thought that had no business into a mind getting ready to do the scientific impossible once again. But he had no idea what to do with it. It looked nice. With his strawberry blonde hair. With his blue eyes. With his red freckles. With his-

A_ boom_. He knew they weren’t safe out here. He knew he shouldn’t had come.

“Get down!!” Like many times before he was forced to take cover. Getting flat against the ground, hands over his head, hoping that whoever was hunting them down was going to miss. Feeling fear and adrenaline making him see double, hoping that wherever his guardians were they weren’t that far. But they were this time. Unaware of what was happening. Was he going to be taken? Was he going to die? What about Aja? What about his planet? What about _this_ planet? It wasn’t fair like this! It wasn’t… huh… that bounty hunter was taking an awful lot of time to move an attack.

Krel looked up, only to see Seamus gaping at him. And no one else. No enemy, no robot, definitely not Morando. It was just them. The blonde offered him a hand, bewildered.

“Dude, what happened?”

The prince winced, refusing the help and getting up himself.

“Huh, nothing, just… it seemed like a pretty concerning noise.” 

“It was just a warning shot, to signal that the show is about to start! Fireworks are explosives, that’s why I said it’s about chemistry. It’s like shooting fire into the sky.” Oh the shame. The shame was so powerful, the prince found himself sitting only not to fall pathetically on his knees. Seamus blinked at him. “I didn’t think you were going to react like this…”

“No, no, it was nothing! It just caught me off guard.” Krel couldn’t smile, not after that. He couldn’t even enjoy a single moment without fearing for his life. “I do not wish to talk about it further, it was a simple moment that already passed.” But he was not looking forward to the next bang.

The blonde put a hand on his shoulder. Right now it felt embarrassingly pitiful.

“Not everything, but if you could tell me just a bit so it doesn’t happen again…”

The prince gritted his teeth and slapped that hand away.

“I _said_ I don’t want to talk about it!!” That scream echoed. Between them, through the surroundings, so loud and definitive. Krel bit his lip, scooting further from the other, refusing to meet his eyes. It was silent again. No feeble noise to distract him from the guilt building up inside of him. How despicable. It wasn’t like this human knew about his situation, he didn’t deserve his frustration. And Seamus was already struggling containing his own anger, he didn’t need more problems. More burdens.

They sat quietly for a while. The prince didn’t know how to break the situation. Just as he hopelessly opened his mouth, Seamus sighed.

“I used to come here with my parents every year.”

Krel gulped, turning around. The blonde was leaning forward, his elbows over his knees, his eyes looking at pure nothingness. Almost the same position he found him in the park that time, under a fading moon.

“Really?”

Seamus nodded weakly, scratching the back of his hand.

“I don’t even remember when we started, it was just the best part of the year. The three of us hanging around together, having fun. And at first it was just an occurrence like another… but as I grew up, it became the only happy day we could have as a family.” His eyes went gloomy. “I don’t know when it happened, I guess it broke down gradually without me realizing. Or maybe I was just a kid too busy trying to win a stupid toy. But when I reached my ten years, we stopped going.” He put a hand on his forehead. “It was the year my parents divorced.”

Those words stopped the time. Everything that in their life seemed to stream so rapidly right in front of their eyes slowed down, to make it more meaningful. Krel didn’t even realize he was getting closer to him, he just felt the need to fill the gap.

“Johnson…” He hated himself for not being able to say anything more relevant.

Seamus looked at him, there was no light into his eyes.

“You wanna know what the hard part was?” He waited, even if there was no response. “I didn’t have to choose. I guess most people would say it should make things easier, but not this time. Not when she didn’t even try to stay. Not when she left me, knowing perfectly well dad wasn’t going to deal well with the situation.” He shrugged. “And he is ignorant, short tempered, arrogant, closeminded and never satisfied no matter what I do… but he’s here. At least he’s here. The most I got from mom are a couple of phone calls.” His eyes were red again, feelings that could melt into tears in any moment. “It’s been five years, and I’m still angry. What a bummer.” He scratched his hair, taking the deepest breath.

Krel wasn’t moving. Everything was making sense all of the sudden, an information he never hoped to be in possession of. The blonde was making the effort to be sincere, he considered him worthy of his story. And him? How could he ignore that and pretend like he didn’t deserve an explanation? There were many reasons their identity needed to stay secret. Every information could be dangerous somehow as the time went by, no matter how well elaborated. But right there, far away from the perfectly normal and ordinary town of Arcadia. Right there, while discovering new things, while experimenting new feelings, it felt just like the right moment to not regret.

The prince took a deep breath, closing his eyes just for a moment.

“The day we left our home… there was a coup.” He felt Seamus’ surprised gaze on him. It made him keep going. “It was supposed to be a great day, for all of our family. But everything changed so quickly I barely realized it. I was with Mama and Papa when it happened. Papa told me to go get Aja, that she needed me, that we needed to stay together. It was utter chaos. There were soldiers shooting at us everywhere and I was… scared.” Such a simple word left his lips trembling. “When we got reunited, I thought everything was going to be fine. I thought the worst was over. But then they found us once again, and Mama and Papa were…” His throat abandoned him right there, a sob he tried to fight but couldn’t. Thankfully no tears were in sight. “I wish I could remember home like a good place, where I grew up with my family. But it is hard now. It’s not a safe residence anymore. And it makes me feel… lonely, sometimes.” His body was shivering terribly. Every single word felt so freeing yet so painful. He had tried not to think about his planet so many times. And it was guilting, especially in regard of all the people that were fighting for them. But sometimes it was the only way to just stop _feeling_.

A hand went on his shoulder. Once again Krel feared his pity, his fake understanding. The useless attempt to make him feel better, while no one could, not even his sister. But when he faced his tearful smile, something changed.

“Thanks for telling me.” Honest, genuine, the simplest truth. The prince smiled back, feeling just the faintest relief.

“Thanks for telling _me_.”

Right on cue, more bangs made the air tremble. Krel closed his eyes, holding the other’s shoulder. This wasn’t an attack, he knew that now. But it was still something that went beyond his understanding, so close to his worst memories of Akiridion-5. The black of his eyelids covered in spots of red, purple and green, the curiosity was getting the best on him. But just the slightest suspicion about what was waiting out there was blocking him. He took a deep breath. The sweet scent of sugar was vivid even from there. Soothing. Comforting. Then he felt his shoulders circled by warmth. Krel opened his eyes, in time to witness the brightest and most beautiful explosion he had ever seen. Sparkles of white light spreading into the night sky, then turning into a golden fountain. A spell of glow right before his eyes.

When more fireworks exploded, he turned towards the blonde. The lights and the colors were reflecting into his eyes.

“Don’t worry.” He was whispering, like it was a secret. “You’re safe.”

What a naïve statement, this human truly knew nothing about what was happening. What was coming for them, and could very well end Earth as he knew it. The prince blamed this mesmerizing show, his caring voice, their closeness and this unexplainable feeling of ease around him. Because he let himself go into his embrace, leaning his head over his shoulder. And he put a hand over his, without thinking. Their fingers intertwined, he could hear Seamus holding his breath. And just like that the explosions became less threatening, the pyrotechnic performance breathtaking. Symmetrical, circular, unusual, in sequence, fast, slow, small, _majestic_. So many tints, so many shapes, every single burst blossoming into the sky was a little moment of joy in a chain with no end.

But when it did end, a big finale that made him grin with enthusiasm, his entire body felt vivid. Like he did a strong exercise, nicely dumb over everything else. He looked at Seamus, who was looking at him as well. They were both red, and their eyes were shining. At the same time they smiled at each other. No word was spoken until they got back to the car, when the music was on again and they could go back to sing and laugh. A short trip. Ten mekrons indeed. When the Mothership came back into view Krel truly wished it was longer.

They both got off the car – with the same car door issue, oh that vehicle definitely had problems with him –, walking slowly towards the house. Seamus was absolutely beaming.

“Not everything went perfectly, but as you said not all plans can work out!” Or in his case absolutely no plan could, but that went beyond the nice feeling of accomplishment he was feeling. “I think it was a pretty successful date.” Krel nodded mindlessly, sighing in delight. Then it came to him. He stopped, his expression fell, and all of the sudden he actually wondered what that night truly had meant.

“Wait, so it was a date!” It came out like an accuse – was it?

Seamus stopped right on track, looking at him in disbelief. He sucked his breath, looking around like he needed to find the exact words to say. He cleared his voice, still keeping his eyes down like he couldn’t bare the contact.

“… would it be bad if it was?”

The breeze of the night flew between them, so pleasant and light. So simple. The prince almost couldn’t believe how simple it was. He was no expert whatsoever into dealing with ‘the open’, his comfort zone resided into closed compartments and cold, emotionless machines. The beauty of science where math and concreteness were the king and queen. There was no certainty outside, everything was unpredictable. New. Concerning. _Exciting_. Like all the things he experimented on this planet already. A comforting coherency he had failed to catch before.

He blinked the image of this guy, red and worried, giving him quick hopeful glances. The warmest summer breeze flew over his face.

“Goodnight.”

“Huh? Oh, yeah.” Seamus grimaced, eyes on the ground. “Night…” He turned towards the car, shoulders falling, feet dragging heavily over the ground. Krel bit his lip, waiting just a few sektons while leaning against the door. He could feel his core trembling.

“Johnson?”

“Yeah…?”

“… I’ll look forward to our next escape.”

The blonde immediately turned to face him. That expression made the entire night. Pure awe, his eyes so wide they seemed clearer. Brighter.

“… wait, really?!” The prince smiled at him, getting inside and closing the door, his back pressing against the entrance. A moment of silence. “YES!!” How loud and obnoxious at that hour. How in Gaylen’s name could that make him feel so happy was beyond his understanding. His mind was serene. His core was full. His body needed some rest for what was coming. That was all the conclusion he could come up with that day. He noticed Varvatos sleeping on the armchair, with Luug on his lap – the deadly commander with a puppy, what a combination. It was so quiet in the Mothership, he made sure to be as silent as possible. He peaked into Aja’s room, his sister was completely asleep, rolled on one side. After the first harsh nights it seemed like she got used to Earth’s night hours.

As soon as the door of his room was closed, Krel dropped himself onto the bed. Like Mother said, he needed to be fully operational. He went to turn off the transduction, but not before putting their photos on his nightstand, crossing the math blonde’s playful glance. While finally surrendering to the fatigue, two of his hands behind his head, he smiled softy to himself.

The fireworks had been beautiful. Mirrored into Seamus’ blue eyes.

BONUS

“… let me get this straight.” Seamus rubbed his forehead, still in disbelief on what was happening right in front of his eyes. Although considering the resolution of his old phone, he could still be wrong. “Darci and Mary were waiting for an update at Darc’s house, which I can understand. Then Steve…” From the video chat the Palchuk grinned. “Apparently heard the news from Aja and tagged along, knowing somehow the girls were aware of the situation. Which, even if a little farfetched, is still mostly logical. Now…” He pointed at Logan, busy chewing some chips with apparent uninterest. “How in the world did you get involved??”

His friend took his time to finish his snack. Then, getting dangerously at his nerves, he took a glass, filled it with soda and drank it with his pinky raised – Steve looked incredibly proud of such fine annoyingness. Then, after sighing in satisfaction, he smirked.

“-It’s Saturday night and you haven’t proposed me anything to do. No rants mean your dad let you go out and you wouldn’t miss the occasion. Mates before dates and with the first one out, I thought that maybe you went out with someone and before I knew it… Mary.-” He shrugged, unpacking a box of cookies clearly of discount origins, wincing only a little before digging in.

Seamus groaned, hiding his face into the pillow. He didn’t even undress after he came back home, he just jumped on his bed exhausted. His cheeks were still burning.

“Of course…”

“-Hey, we’re just interested! I mean, _they_ are, _I_ am BUMPED over this!!-” Mary’s eyes turned into stars. He was half sure that wasn’t quite possible. “-Come on! I want to know everything, like, did you walk lovingly holding hands? Did you go all lovey-dovey with each other? Did you follow my advices, the flowers, the special place, the music, you lovely mess of a person? Did you…?-” She gasped all of the sudden, making him choke on nothing. “-Did you kiss?! How was the kiss?? Is Clint a good kisser?? I’m thinking of a secret Latin lover attitude, but cute inexperienced is also-” 

He was too tired to deal with more strong emotions.

“Hold your horses, geez! No we didn’t hold hands, no we didn’t kiss! It was our first date, give me a break!” The girl pouted, Darci laughed behind her. “But… b-but I guess it was kind romantic… with the fireworks and everything.” Dang it, that annoying smirk was back. He couldn’t even pretend to be over the situation, not after holding him so close while watching flowers blossoming into the sky… ah, he was getting so sentimental, gross. The boys were definitely thinking the same, giving him those knowing looks like they knew better.

“-Man, I still can’t believe it’s Tarron. I mean, you used to hate him!-”

Seamus winced, shrugging uncomfortably.

“Well I wouldn’t say hate…-”

“-Dude, the day he got his first A+ in math your rant was so long I had the time to play a full session of Go Go Sushi… in _hard_ mode.-” Logan shook his head. “-So many nigiri perished because of you.-” That game really changed him.

“Okay, I was a bit irritated, but-”

“-You created a group chat called ‘taking down the cheater’ so you could brag with us about defeating him after the Math Duel.-” Darci smiled sympathetically at him. “-Just saying.-”

“Well, fine, it was a little too mu-”

“-When I was going to beat him up at the taco truck for wasting my burrito you were cheering for me saying, and I quote with Mary and Logan as witnesses, ‘knock him back to wherever he came from, Steve’. And don’t get me wrong, always appreciate some good old solidarity between pals, but… not cool, you know.-” A lesson of morality by Steven Q Palchuk. Here he thought this day could only get better.

The math blonde glared at them, holding his phone with both hands.

“I get it, okay? I get it!! I was a jerk, and I still kinda am! I get angry, I get insufferable, and I say a lot of stupid stuff without thinking!” What a hopeless sigh, the guys didn’t have to be fueled by romance like Mary to recognize it. “But I had a blast… and almost a heart attack many times.” The cantaloupian had looked incredible with different clothes. “We laughed, talked, had food and photos and… I’m sweating bullets, but I can’t wait to go out with him again. Does this even make sense?” Funny. They were so smart together, yet nothing he had ever studied as an honor student might had explained his thoughts.

Now looking at his friends, that was a different story. Because while the girls looked so ecstatic, like he became an exciting new episode from a teen show, his bros looked so sick it made him realize just how embarrassing his situation was.

Logan finally put down the snacks.

“-Seam in Space has a crush, I can’t believe it. I think I’m going to puke rainbows.-”

“-I know!! I decided I’ll go with Kreamus, Seal looks and sounds weird.-” And the net girl was on her phone again, smirking. “-And now it’s on, who is gonna be the ultimate couple?-” Oh he really hoped there wasn’t a survey online about them right this moment.

“-Huh, duh? Me and Aja are way better, there is no competition!-” Steve showed off his chest, smiling with superiority. “-You might be smarter, with your pretty big words and your boring math power, but we have the strength! We have the looks! We have the charisma! We can smash everything that gets thrown in our direction, boom!-” He punched his hand, laughing. “-Also we started dating before you, take that!-”

“It’s not a race, Steve.”

“-We would destroy you if it was! Woohoo! The king and his warrior princess, baby!-”

Seamus rolled his eyes, right when Darci took back the possession of her phone. She smiled at him.

“-Forget about that, all that matter is that you two had a good night, right?-” His hero, putting everything into perspective. He nodded, leaning his cheek over his hand. He didn’t expect that genius to be so captivated by everything, like he was actually experiencing life for the first time. It was cute… like that was true, it was _adorable_.

His face started to burn.

“R-right.”

“-Are you for real? Blushing?! Uh, I’m gonna barf, bleh, I can feel it, bleh…-”

“-Not on my girl’s phone! Do it on Steve!-”

“-Hey, don’t you dare, buttsnack!-” Luckily he could just ignore his embarrassment in favor of his friends’ silliness, laughing mindlessly. It was late, he was tired, his screen’s luminosity was a little lower than usual. So when the sudden notification came up, it took him a bit to notice. Someone else was calling him.

The ring caught the attention, the confusion stopped. Mary raised an eyebrow.

“-You’re getting called past midnight? Don’t they know messages exist?-” Seamus shrugged, then suddenly his tired brain read the name. His insides went cold. “-… Seamus?-” He swallowed, asking into his mind why in the world this needed to happen now. After a night that went further beyond his expectations. While hanging with his closest friends. In preparation for a sleep that was most likely going to be filled with brown eyes and fireworks.

“… it’s mom.”

He was lucky that Steve and Logan knew him from this long, since their faces immediately dropped with concern. The blonde, surprisingly, took charge, shaking a bag of chips with emphasis.

“-Whoops, empty! How about we take some more snacks while Seam answers? You can call us back, right buddy?-” They went through some difficult times together, between their messed up ‘cool bully phase’ and two even more messed up families. But somehow he could still count on this selfless comprehension from him, like having difficult parents was sadly the only thing that really managed to keep them together. And with Logan acting cheerful with a “To the snack cave!”, he knew there was nothing to be worried about.

Seamus smiled absently, nodding.

“Yeah, give me five minutes.” The others waved and the call ended. His room was suddenly very silent. But there was no sadness inside of him. Only frustration. But he didn’t want to lose it again. He waited until ‘Mom’ stopped vibrating on his screen. Then it came back again. There was no avoiding this. Dad was out with some colleagues, it was for the better. He took a deep breath and pressed accept. “What do you want?”

A hesitation. It was beyond him how she still wasn’t used to that.

“-H-hi honey, sorry for the lat-”

“Don’t start with all that facade, I had a long day and I’m really tired. Whatever it is, make it quick.” His voice was already cracking. He couldn’t even figure into his mind who was on the other side without feeling itchy.

Mom sighed, smiling. He knew she was smiling somehow.

“-I just wanted to make sure you were okay, since today… well. I hope it wasn’t too hard for you.-”

That actually caught him off guard.

“You knew I was at the fair?”

“-One of my good friends has a stand of clothes there, yeah.-” Of course, why was he surprised? He was pretty sure his parents used to go there even before he was born. “-She said you were there with a friend, and it seemed like you were having a lot of fun. That’s good, Seamus. I just… I’m happy you’re happy, I hope you know that.-” What a cruel woman, pestering him with her sweetness and caring attitude, like they hadn’t been kilometers apart for six years.

The blonde gritted his teeth, his eyes pinching. No. Don’t. Or she wins.

“I guess. Is that all?”

“-… honey, you’re sixteen now. I think it’s about time we talk.-” His hands were shaking.

“Oh yeah? About what?”

“-About… look, I know it was hard for you. It was hard for me as well, believe me. But there are things we haven’t told you because we thought you wouldn’t understand. But now that you’re older… it doesn’t have to be tomorrow, or next week, or this summer if you don’t want to. I just really want to see you again, so we can-” She stopped, there was the sound of a door opening. She was so simple, the guilt was immediate from a single gulp.

Seamus couldn’t bring himself to imagine the scene. His mom sitting into her new home, talking with him on the house’s phone, looking at her lover coming back from work or whatever. It was so natural and so obvious and so _unfair_ and-

“I’m tired, mom. Call me another time.”

“-… alright, I understand.-” If there was something that miraculously didn’t change, it was how she could instinctively know how to deal with him. “-Goodnight, honey.-”

He didn’t say it back, just ended the call. He didn’t even feel like breaking something, which was better than usual. He half guessed it was because of how exhausted he was, so much he didn’t really feel like calling the guys back. He lied down, looking at the space stickers on his ceiling. Did mom put them there? He couldn’t remember. Dad didn’t seem like someone who would. It ached. While these planets were here, she was out there. With her love. The one she _lied_ about.

He sighed, rolling on one side. Talk. What was there to talk?

“Lies, lies, always lies.” His eyes went to the photos they took, Krel’s red face while smiling at the camera. Seamus’ eyes softened. “At least you’re not lying to me, huh Tarron? You’re real… ah, dang it.” He covered his face, grinning like an idiot. That beautiful ecstasy was still floating around him, as he scrolled his recent calls on the phone.

One hesitation, but he called Darci back – not like he could escape Mary forever anyway. To his surprise there was only Steve.

“-Hey dude.-” His smile was very cautious. “-How did it go…?-” No one like him could understand the situation, and Seamus still considered himself at least a little luckier. Even so the jock was the one that changed for the better the most.

“It went, that’s good enough.” Seamus smiled at him. “Thanks.”

“-Hey, we’ve got you. You know we do, right?-” He nodded. Unlike his mom’s excuses, he could count on this. “-Besides, now that we are both dating the Tarrons, we are basically related! We’re more bros than we were ever before!-”

“That’s not really how it works…”

“-I mean, Krel is a buttsnack, and so are you, I guess this is what makes you a good match.-” His eyes went a little down, uncharacteristic for him. “-It’s great, for real. They’ve been through a lot, I think they both deserve to some happy moments.-” Another thing he was still adjusting to, Steve being this empathetic. It was a really big change, but not an uncomfortable one. He was turning more and more into a better friend.

Seamus nodded.

“Yeah, I can’t imagine how would it feel, being forced to leave your home…”

“-Wait, you know?!-” Steve’s eyes grew twice bigger. “-How do you know??-”

“Tarron told me, today. About the coup and how they left Cantaloupia to avoid the danger. Also how their parents got hurt.” Seamus winced. “I mean, his dad is kinda weird, but I didn’t want to assume anything. After all I have no idea what happened in particular.” It just felt nice to see him open up, right after he did. And as bad as it was his situation, it came with a bit of pride knowing he got just a bit of the Latino’s trust.

Steve was unblinking. He swallowed, twice, then slowly started to breathe again.

“-Ah, phew, okay. You know about _that_…-”

Seamus frowned.

“What else is there to know?”

Steve gulped, showing in full display the raw face of guilt. But surprisingly the most popular jock of their school got pushed away like nothing by that slender unexplainable being called Mary Wang, who came into view grinning from ear to ear.

“-We’re baaack! No more stalling, come on, details! Give us all the details!!-”

Seamus rolled his eyes, snickering as all of his friends were squashed together to fit into the screen. Ah, what did it matter after all? There was nothing else to address, really. Not after one single night of confidences. He could just talk it out, please them a little, relive those dazzling moments. Distractively thinking about where to bring him next and, at the end, bask into the realization that it had been just their first date.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ... yep, turns out I'm actually going somewhere with this XD
> 
> Seamus' parents are divorced, my headcanon is out! I don't want to go into details, but that is definitely important for the future. So you can start with the theories if you want :P  
This was mostly based of my own experience about fairs, and since I'm not American it might be different from a typical USA event. But hey, we have frittelle, they have funnel cakes, we're all good with our fried goodnesses ^3^ So happy I've got to write a date about my math dorks, also between your wonderful comments this fic is giving me so many satisfactions! <3 And we still need to get really into it... yep, stuff needs to happen, just wait ;)
> 
> Thanks for reading! Leave a comment, a kudos, a wormhole generator or whatever :P  
See ya!! Byee!!
> 
> P.S. Tell me if there are mistakes in the chapter, and also WIZARDS HAS BEEN DELAYED TO NEXT YEAR?? T-T GDT is very lucky his saga is amazing and I can wait >=(


	5. Sunglow

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, I'm baaaaack!!  
This came out way longer than I expected, one of the reason it took so long for me to post it probably ^^" Hopefully it was worth the wait, because you guys had made my day every single time I got a new notification with kudos and comments. Thank you so much *u*  
Happy 2020, and here we go with Kreamus!  
Enjoy! ^ ^

So Krel might had noticed him in class, with just a little glance at the first row: his strawberry blonde head figuring so close to Coach Lawrence’s hysterical screams had been pretty hard to ignore. So Krel might had got a little caught up into escaping from a mad human military, dodging shocks from an electrothermal bounty hunter and resisting the barfing reflex during the worst of the Staja moments – his desire to see that math blonde had nothing to do with those disgusting couple things, no way, not a chance. So Krel might had thought about meeting him, hoping that after all that mess there was finally time to have a break.

Seklos and Gaylen, not a chance. No matter the concerning amount of danger they had faced the entire delson, somehow tranquility was a luxury they couldn’t quite enjoy, not until the very end. Which, considering the troubled look of his sister in his glowing and very evident unhuman form, seemed to be as far as Akiridion-5 at the moment.

Eli had been inspecting Aja with quite a certain curiosity, limited only by Steve’s very menacing glare from afar. Those eye shields looked shinier than usual.

“Okay, one question.” Considering there was an Akiridion out in the open and they were barely hiding behind the academic prison building, one seemed not enough. “Since you have four arms, do you have double pectorals? I mean you can’t exactly move the four of them with- or can you somehow- well you’re not biological so there’s no point into asking. Mm… oh, I bet I can ask one of Jim’s trolls about that!” At least one of them was enjoying the situation.

Luckily Krel’s engineering mind worked faster than himself. After passing through a multitude of inside questions – how did that happen, did the other humans noticed something, could they breath after running for their lives for one sekton – his eyes quickly caught the anomalous light irradiating from the serrator in Aja’s hands.

“… first you lose advanced and deadly Akiridion technology, then you break it?!”

Aja made an offended sound. It kinda reminded him of Akiridion-5, of all the times she had presented herself in front of Papa’s disapproving stare all covered in Skelteg’s goo, swearing she absolutely did not go again into one of those fighting.

“Don’t even start!”

“How do you suggest I should react?? I had your serrator modified and fixed this same delson, are you saying it got magically damaged by itself??” Thinking that he could had spent all that time working on his wormhole generator instead was maddening – the spaghettification was inevitable for now, but at least Luug was adorable at bringing him all those Mr. Happy Balls. “You are never careful with my inventions, everything that comes through your hands gets destroyed!”

“Then don’t you test me and my destroying power, little brother!”

"To prove my point even further? Please!!"

“Whoa, guys!” Eli got into the middle – after writing down a memo for the troll pectorals thing apparently –, careful so the two royals weren’t going to tackle each other. “Fighting won’t solve the problem, okay?” The skinny human was right, as much as such assessment seemed unbelievable. Their sibling fighting could very much wait for another day.

"Fine, let me check the situation.” His sister nodded absently, giving him the serrator.  That was a first. She could hold a grudge for way longer, sometimes even more than him. Somehow Aja looked less hostile, more self-conscious. The urgency of the moment, alas, needed his complete attention. It was quick for him to get to the bottom, and realizing just what was going on. “… oh it’s bad.” The prince really wished there was a better conclusion to give. Right there Aja’s image flickered, and her human appearance materialized once again. “There is no way they will not notice, no matter how gullible humans tend to be!”

The nerd next her eyed him, looking offended, while his sister tried to move her arm. Pixels of light fell on the ground.

“I can't be inconspicuous like this! Can you fix it?”

Krel crossed his arms, shaking his head.

“For a complete reconstruction I’m in need of my tools. We have to go back to the Mothership, trying not to catch the others’ attention.” It was indeed easier to say than to do, especially looking at the teen agers excitement, blatant from there. Mary seemed able to catch every moving thing without effort, probably trying to find a new interesting story to replace the military one that she could not post online.

Eli whined, looking worried as Aja turned Akiridion once again.

“Doesn’t look like it’s gonna be easy. Can’t you share serrators or something?”

“That is not how it works… although…” Krel took out his weapon, looking at it quizzically. “If I connect our power matrixes, we should be able to share energy while keeping up both of our transductions.” 

Aja looked at him hopefully.

“Is it possible? Can you do it now?”

“Yes, but there is a bit of a problem: as long as our serrators will be synched, the sharing process will be focused on proximity. Meaning we might need to stay pretty close to each other to allow the disguises to stay on.” The serrator was a very standard weapon for their planet, no warrior or even citizen was usually without. So the coding itself was fairly simple, especially for him. But playing with weapons was never his interest as an inventor, even after modifying Aja’s serrator. Hopefully even in his inexperience, it was going to turn out okay.

Aja looked at her fading hands, taking a deep breath.

“It seems like we don’t have much of a choice … I trust you little brother.” Pressure aside, that kind of support was always comforting.

Krel sat on the ground, bringing the two serrators together to form a circle. As the code of the devices appeared in front of him he went through the hologram projection of the main energy panel. Just a quick coding and the two devices were connected, the energy into Aja’s stable again.

“This should suffice.” He extended the weapon to her sister, who took it and finally went full human, with no dispersal. “Let’s see, we have…” Krel got up in front of Aja and backed down of four steps. At the fifth he could already see his skin turning blue. “This distance.” Kleb, even less than he thought. “And since it is very unstable it might increase or decrease without control.”

His sister grimaced with worry, but nodded.

“Then we’ll have to make sure not to get too far away from each other. I’ll ask Steve to keep an eye on me in case something Akiridion is showing. Eli the Pepperjack, can you do the same with Krel?” 

“Yeah, action plan! High five!” Eli waited for one of them, so Krel decided why not and hit that sweaty palm with his own – so unusual as a greeting, yet strangely satisfying.  There weren't many other comrades they could count on at the moment anyway. Zadra and Varvatos were still on retrieval mission, while the trollhunter had left as soon as the mess with the militaries was over, claiming that he had sent AAARRRGGHH!!! at the Mothership earlier and wanted to check on him. It was a simple yet convincing scheme, they could make it to their house without obstacles.

Easy… hopefully. It was pretty dark already, the mudball was orbiting around its star coherently. Just another tiresome delson was finally coming to and end. Steve had kept a good guard on the 'civilians', as much as it seemed like an easy task considering how all the general attention was on Mary’s phone – “I can’t post it so you have to remember it forever!! Mark it with fire!!”. Colonel Kubritz hateful voice resonated, followed by the girl’s smart thinking and everyone’s solidarity towards them.

Humans were resourceful, even trustworthy. What did you know.

Aja made sure to be into the distance while reaching for her boyfriend, whispering in his ear and getting a convinced nod in response. At the same time Seamus looked up and smiled.

“Finally, we were kinda getting worried here!” On his side his friend Logan shrugged without looking up from the phone. “Well some of us was… hey there, your majesty.” And there he was, beaming at the prince like he was watching something incredibly fascinating. Krel bit his lip to prevent a grin to split his face into halves. Why was the prince so sensible since that ‘fair’ night? Or was it from before? Why was everything so hard to remember lately??

“Uhm, greetings Johnson.”

Aja elbowed him, smirking.

“That's what he calls _you_?” Oh his sister was such a vengeful person.

Logan cleared his voice, raising his hands like he was ready to make a royal announcement.

“Well, my good friends, I think there’s only one way to truly celebrate an event that had managed to bring back the hashtag fightthepower in our heart’s trending.” Mary raised a fist in approval, while the guy simulated some kind of musical preparation to his reveal. “Nothing could be more victorious thaaan… breakfast for dinner! Sam's got a new topping for pancakes, it’s perfect for the occasion! We HAVE to go and no, what are those looks, I was totally not searching for an excuse to go there. Not at all.” He smirked. Again, humans were full of controversies. Even though while walking all together, somehow their gigantic differences seemed to fit quite well in some kind of scheme. So far away, so unusual, yet somehow still anchored to one another.

Ah, no, focus! That was not a good idea, him and Aja needed to get to the Mothership as soon as possible. This detour was going to result into precious mekrons wasted, and the unstable power that was connecting their serrators might flicker or even-

“So...” Seamus grinned, all red while approaching him like he wasn’t quite used to _them_. “Seems like you had a major confrontation against the system. That’s pretty cool.” He eyed Krel, and even at that hour the summer breeze managed to hit the prince with all its heat. Or it was another completely different cause. Perhaps it had something to do with them dating. Another unexplainable human phenomenon, he really needed take notes  – or ask Staja … ahah, yeah.

“Uhm, yes, something like that.” Aja just got sucked into the female orbit, that was advancing pretty quickly with the rest of the group. Krel swallowed. “I-I believe we should trying to catch up with the others.”

“Oh, of course. But … ” Seamus shrugged, eyes soft. “We could also, I don’t know, get a little behind so we can talk a bit. You and me. If you want, I’m just saying.” He cleared his voice, widening the collar of his shirt. It was a thing, definitely a thing that the hot weather was playing with the both of them. What a coincidence, that had followed such a interesting suggestion. Something about lonely meeting with him brought something scary and exciting at the same time. Like a brand new scientific field to explore. How easy it would had been for the prince to comply.

But then his eyes caught Eli’s alarmed ones, along with just a hint of blue glow. The group was proceeding at an alarming speed.

“I think it would be wiser not lose sight of the others!”

Seamus blinked, clearly taken back.

“Huh? I mean, sure, but-”

“Hey Eli, whatever are you up to?" Krel speeded up and grabbed the guy's arm. "May we join you in a constructive conversation about something of your interest while we catch up with the leading group?” Behind his back there was a weird gaping noise. 

“I would love to!” Good, he was playing the part. “… have you ever watched Earth Invaders?”

Nothing but regret for the following ten minutes, filled by the most inaccurate, ignorant and offensive representation of the entire extraterrestrial concept – with apparently good voice acting – he had ever heard. At least it served as a good time arc for making sure no one in the group distanced each other. That way they could maintain position without suspects. Krel couldn’t risk getting caught into his original form, of course. Not with so many witnesses around, clearly. It was the right choice, that was a fact. It was still impossible not hearing Seamus’ unenthusiastic steps behind him, echoing into his heavy chest.

All the group was going into the same direction, and judging by everyone’s excitement for the latest victory – equal to Varvatos’ passion for killing – them royals weren’t going to get rid of them anytime soon. It was fine, actually. A group of teen agers drove less attention anyway. They just needed to get closer to the Mothership then separate themselves from the others.

“… and it’s at that point that things get really interesting!” The sixth time that precise line was said by Eli the Pepperjack. “The aliens, uhm, I mean extraterrestrials, are just part of a bigger scheme! It’s super foreshadowed in season two episode eleven.” Somehow the skinny boy was holding up his nose in a very superior way, like he was the one and only expert over the space situation – which considering his speculations about he and Aja’s existences, wasn’t completely wrong. That being said, none of his words made sense – a numeric season? A shadow of before?

Steve approached them, having Aja just nearby, wearing a frown.

“Wasn’t that the one when agent Murdoon becomes half alien?”

“First of all, spoiler alert.” TV shows had an expiring date? “Also I said season _two_, that’s season three. And thanks for reminding me the most depressing day of my entire life.” Eli took out a handkerchief and blew loudly in it, while Steve patted his back for comfort. Little of the scene could be understood without watching the show – indeed – and considering the many extraterrestrial stereotypes present on that mudball, it wasn’t Krel’s first interest getting educated regarding that kind of mess.

After some more blabbering about agent Murdoon’s choice dictated by a manipulative sorry excuse for a human being – and apparently some theories about that jerk hopefully being the villain next season –, Krel’s brain decided to stop listening. Or to be specific, it went blank. Seamus’ hand was brushing his, melting something inside of him that he hadn’t realized it was making him feel that bad. The prince gave a quick glance at the blonde, who looked just as annoyed by the nerdy explanation, but not as regretful. Summer was most definitely getting stronger.

All of the sudden the group stopped on tracks and Logan went completely still in front of a big sign that said ‘ALEX’, painted in neon. It seemed like a game center.

“Whoa! Seam, look! They got Shooting Orbits back in shape!”

“For real?!” Seamus inclined his head, his eyes pointing at some sort of smaller version of a basketball game, with only the basket, many little balls and plenty of poorly made space decorations. “Wow, it’s been forever! I thought they were going to replace it with that fortune telling machine with the robot…” Logan smirked at him, taking out a coin and pointing at the game with clear invitation. “Fine, out of generosity I’ll give you a chance to beat my score.”

“What? Dude, Steve has the highest score!” The called jock showed off his muscles.

“But mine is still higher than yours.” Seamus snickered at his friend’s pout, then turned to the prince. “Hey, uhm, you wanna try? My treat. You own me a rematch for the shooting gallery!” Another challenge that most likely included abilities Krel was not fond of. But he did have fun back then. A lot. If that had mattered because of the activity of because of Seamus, it was still unclear. Maybe it was worth a shot.

“I…” He was quick to hide his _blue_ hand. “I would rather not, it is most certainly not my kind of fun. But you don’t worry and go ahead! I will be waiting right here for your victorious return!”

Seamus nodded, looking a little disappointed – the heaviness was back.

“Then I guess I’ll have a quick turn then.” He smirked. “Don’t feel too lonely without me.”

Krel snickered, backing off a little, still holding his arms behind his back.

“No worries, I will stay here with… uh…” He eyed the skinny boy, who nodded frantically. “With my good companion here, Eli!” His own smile felt painfully obvious, there was no way he could hide the tension. “I’ll be absolutely safe and entertained! Right my equal as of the same age group?” It had become quite common for them to resort to the aid of their human acquintaces. He couldn’t say he was used to, but he wasn’t as against it as before.

“F-for sure, I’ll take care of you Krel, count on me!” Eli on his part wasn’t doing a much better job for their credibility with his blabbering. But at least he could play along, placing a hand on his shoulder like friends did – friends did these things right?

Seamus froze for a second. Confusion, astonishment… fear? His mind seemed very busy.

“Oh, uhm, okay… I guess.” He looked at them a little longer, doubtful, before reaching Logan in front of these Orbits and finally looking away.

Krel sighed in relief, checking his hands. Definitely blue, and this while he was in the supposedly safe distance. As he predicted, the energy was getting unstable and the proximity needed already increased greatly.

“We have to leave, right now.”

“Whaaat, no way, we’re not even at Sam’s! Don’t be a partypooper, Kyle!”  Mary got closer and showed her tongue at him. What was worse between the image of such a scandalous figure and the deformation of his name on such level, Krel had no idea. “Besides, my girl here needs this. For _real._” She turned to his sister.“It’s probably because of those jerks of today, but you don’t look too bright right now Aj.” That didn't seem as shallow as the prince would had expected from that girl.

Aja seemed very surprised as well. Darci smiled, patting her back.

“True, I think a pile of flapjacks and some selfies is just what you need! It will make you feel better, trust us.” What a power. Sometimes his sister’s ability to build bonds with others could make all of his superior intellect pale in comparison. Especially now that she was indeed troubled, there were people ready to cover her back.

For some reason, it made him feel relieved.

Aja shrugged uncomfortably, even if her eyes were shining of gratitude.

“Thank you, but my brother is right, we should go…” Ah, he was so going to regret it.

“No matters, we shall stay a little longer. At least until we will get to the Sam person.” His sister looked at him in disbelief. “While you enjoy your time with your friends, I will go and make sure to keep monitoring our, uhm, little problem.” It got definitely harder, but seeing Aja’s smile full of gratefulness kinda make it worth it.

Logan howled loudly, making them turn around. Apparently he caught some space disease, or he was just that unable to stay still on one foot while playing.

“Look at my score baby! You’re gonna get dethroned soon, Steve!”

“What?!” The jock made sure his girlfriend was, well, human, before sprinting towards the basket game. Seamus and Logan were both really into it, throwing the orange balls right into the touchdown hoop to make a full goal quarterback uno – Krel had no idea how sport worked on Earth. “Seam!! Why are you so behind, you can’t leave this evil being win!”

Logan cackled maniacally, throwing more balls and gaining more points.

“I’ve been training for this with my cousin’s little basket since last Christmas! I’ve given my heart! And the very next day…”

“It’s not even Christmas anymore!” Steve grunted. “Seamus stop looking at Krel and focus!”

The ball slipped from Seamus’ hands and fell on the ground… on the ground, right? The prince might had got distracted as well after the jock’s words. Just a little. Blushing profusely as well. Just a little. Even thought there was something unusual into the blonde’s look. Like he was ready to shoot lasers in his direction. Or Eli’s direction. Mm, weird.

Seamus swallowed, shaking his head.

“I-I’m not…!”

“Yeah yeah, boo boo, poor you got caught staring at the guy you’re dating, try to put your head on the ga-” The time finished in that moment, declaring Logan’s victory judging by his extremely smug expression. “… you’re on a higher level on buttsnacking right now, congratulation. It’s a price you’ll have to pay one day.” Steve left with that inspiring line, even though those big comical eyes seemed to sulk into defeat way more than how he let out.

Seamus rolled his eyes, picking up the ball. He positioned himself for the movement, a little off. At least in Krel’s opinion – so it was true.

“Johnson!” The blonde almost let the ball trip again. “Try to position yourself one and a half centimeter on the right, with your hands two centimeters higher!” Not a fan of physical education, but geometry, that was more in his veins.

The blonde rolled his eyes, even as a smile took over.

“Could had done it myself, you know!”

“The imaginary world you seem to live in greatly worries me!” The little side grin he got back was pretty satisfying. “… hey!” Being forced to turn around so suddenly made his head spin a little. And almost made him trip. “What are you doing??” Eli pointed at his glasses. “… oh, my eyes.” A quick nod. “Good call.” Hopefully the math blonde was too caught up with his shot to notice.

“No problem…” He tightened his lips, looking bashful. “Uhm…”

Krel looked frantically at his body.

“What is it? I have four arms now??”

“Oh no, no, it’s not about that, just… you know I don’t think all aliens are bad, right?” That low tone actually surprised him. “I mean, I don’t anymore, I just really like that show.” Eli breathed out, looking a little sweaty – if that wasn’t his standard condition. “I get a little carried away sometimes, but I still think you guys are cool.” 

The prince smiled. It was evident that he was a good person, but a reminder was always welcomed.

“It is alright. This Earth Invaders sounds rather… elaborated.” It was as far as he could go as something similar to a compliment. Judging by the creepslayer’s eyes full of joy, it seemed to be more than enough.

“Not bad, huh?” Okay maybe he was getting more distracted, since in another occasion he would had definitely seen Seamus walking to him with such a bright smile – or him general, no need to be so specific, why being it eheh.

The prince blinked, looking just in case if Aja was around. She was.

“Uhm, not bad what?”

“My shot. Nice directions, but a little higher and I would had scored without even touching the ring of the basket.” The blonde huffed with superiority. “I guess it’s the kind of math you possess when you’re an A+ student like me. Hope you’ll be able to catch up someday.” He really got better at understanding his confusion, since his little smile slowly dropped. “… you weren’t watching?” Seamus frowned at him. “You seem kinda out of it today.”

Krel winced. Just his luck!

“V-very sorry.”

“Oh, it’s fine.” He blonde shrugged. “I mean you faced a colonel, only fair you’re a little phased.” 

“Well, I believe so.” A moment of fear like another while living his life. “Truth to be told, I looked away only at the latest sek- second. I am fairly sure Eli didn’t mean to startle me, he simply distracted me a little.” For the better, considering how Akiridion eyes were pretty, as a human would had said, ‘freaky’.

Or perhaps not such in such good favor? It seemed so with the blonde’s current expression, so emotionless and cold all of the sudden. Something moved under his left eye, a little tic of his eyelid apparently out of his control. Another interesting phenomenon regarding biological beings, stimuli and reactions to strong inputs could be very instinctive. Even thought right now it wasn’t clear what was the cause.

“Pepperjack?” The blonde eyed the nerd, who gulped and decided to back away a little towards Steve. “Why is he always…?” He bit his lip, looking tense. Worried even.

Krel frowned.

“Always what?”

"Really? You're telling me you don't think it's weird?"

"What is weird?"

“… yeah. Yeah, okay, whatever.” The blonde sighed harshly, the excited light in his eyes fading and his expression turning slowly into his usual frown. “It was just a dumb shot anyway.” No. Wait. Where did all the good attitude go? "Let’s just… let’s just get there.” He started to walk, without bothering to wait for him. Leaving an awkward silence behind to let him wonder what just happened.

While approaching Sam’s – who turned out to be not a person but an entire building, for Seklos, humans truly had mastered the art of keeping secrets – it was immediately apparent they weren’t going to head home anytime soon. Not when Mary looked so over the top, if that wasn’t her normal reserve of energy. Not when Logan seemed so hungry to the point of eating the entrance, with Steve humoring him for distraction – or because he was as famished. Not when Seamus immediately went inside, taking a spot on a table with his well-known frown in full view from the window.

Krel sighed. What was the problem this time? What did he do? Why did it always reduced to him trying to find the solution of a complex situation??

One issue at the time, Aja was currently hugging him. The prince furrowed an eyebrow.

“Sister, I’m not sure if you are simply being overly affectionate or … ”

“I love you very much little brother, but no. It is not about that.” She took one step back, her blonde hair were already shading into a light blue. “I can’t believe we are already this low at power! We barely had a walk, and who knows how long this breakfast dinner fusion will last! Possibly like two whole meals combined!” She gave him her serrator again, worried.

Krel took a look at his as well. Indeed the energy was almost out.

“Perhaps the transduction will benefit a stabile materialization of our energies. Sitting down should be enough.” He gave the serrator back. “Keep it away, do not use it. A blast might be too much of a burst for the disguise to hold.” There was no point into going back to the ship anymore, one bad movement seemed enough to have their real forms in full view. Their only hope was some outside help.

Aja was definitely having his same thoughts.

“I tried calling Vex and Zadra but no result, why is it taking them so long?”

“I don’t know, maybe the Zeron’s ship is further than we thought. We need someone to go to the Mothership to pick up my tools.”

“Maybe Stuart with his track?” That old piece of junk? If it wasn’t going to break before. “… or Toby!” A warrior trained to deal with the unexpected and various emergencies, going around town with a massive giant made of stone. Krel immediately went over his number.

The pick up was quick, the guy had become a natural at readily answering alarmed phone calls.

“-Hey dude, what’s the emergency?-” Truly experienced.

“Our transduction is wearing off, you need to get to the Mothership and grab my tools. Just tell Mother and she will guide you. Once you are done, bring them to us at Sam’s.”

“-I’m on my way!-” Finally some good news. “-Wow, one worried call after the other, I just finished talking with Jimbo!-” His voice sounded a little bouncing, like he was hopping while walking. Or he was taking a lift on his troll friend. “-Apparently there was something important Claire saw at the TV I should know about and he was kinda warning me? I don’t know, the line went off…-”

“That is too bad.” Krel cared very little at the moment. “Are you close to the ship?”

“-Yeah, wingman didn’t find Zadra and the big guy so he was looking around, we should be there in five- Oh, Jim is sending a message now. Must be something pretty important, let’s see… a link to an online newspaper? Of yesterday… no way!-”

There it was, the high pitch alarmed voice. Krel gripped his phone.

“What is it? Troll enemies?”

“-Not trolls for once. Sorry, I’ll be there a little late.-”

“What? Wait, Toby…!” The call ended.

Krel sighed looking at Aja, frustration making his head hurt. At this point they could only hope the trollhunter was going to finish his own deal fast and was going to reach them faster. They just needed to wait a little and stay still.

What could go wrong, as the humans would say; Sam’s the building did not appear as a menacing place after all. The prince had been here before, thinking about it: to mess up his sister’s crazy idea of telling his human boyfriend the truth about them. Rather fun that he was now counting on that same guy’s help for hiding their identities from everyone else – he was actually doing a rather good job, Krel needed to thank him later. Same chill atmosphere. Same retro music that he liked so much. Same wide red tables with the colorful cards.

Not the same math blonde guy sitting at the table, with Steve by his side and Logan in front.

The jock gave Krel a wink as he saw him arriving. He stood up, leaving a place free near the grumpy blonde that was raising a silent glare as Eli timidly took place near Logan. With Aja sitting with the girls at the next table, making sure to have the chair back to back to Krel's, it was the perfect situation to handle just another tricky question.

The prince cleared his voice, seeing those blue eyes shifting a little.

“Hello. Is this seat already taken?” A sillable, a shrug, it was good enough considering his standards. Krel sit down, sighing, pointing his elbows on the table. Now what? Unlike for the transduction issue, his mind could not think of a plan. Because not all the pieces were together. It was frustrating. Everything was frustrating. His wormhole generator was malfunctioning, the serrators were malfunctioning… _this_, was malfunctioning. Krel looked at the guy, pushing away the mere idea of thinking. Sincerely, shamelessly, _honestly_. “I am not sure what I did this time.”

Seamus turned to him in disbelief.

"What?"

“I, uh, I don’t know what I did wrong. I admit I adopted a concerning behavior for, uhm, personal reasons, but-”

“Huh?!” Seamus dropped the gloomy act all together – ah, the sneaky human, was he pretending just to get attention? “No you didn’t do- I mean, no! No that’s not what I… forget it, it’s nothing.” Seamus sighed, glancing slightly to his front. “I’m being overly paranoid or something. I don’t know what got over me.” Judging by his still furrowed eyebrows that was nowhere near the truth. But at least he was more talkative now.

Krel scratched his neck, out of place.

“You had my interest regarding this Orbits discipline, I never intended to belittle it.” The blonde smiled a little, softly, still not serene. “Truly, I didn’t mean to lose sight of your majestichomerun.” That gulp was so strong, it moved the table.

Seamus’ expression changed slowly into an enormous snicker, accompanied with big widened eyes.

“Oh my gosh, are you serious?? What did you just say??” The prince just shrugged, Seamus burst into laughter. Part of the tension finally started to melt. It was embarrassing was how proud it made him feel. “You’re unbelievable, smart and confusing at the same time. That’s not normal.” Was that an insult? “Ah, you’re lucky I don’t mind your kind of weird.” Maybe not. How arrogant, it shouldn’t had been that easy making him feel fluttered.

Krel decided to let go, with this guy it was already a victory.

“Are you mad at me?”

“Nah, just a little annoyed.”

“What for? I don’t think I understand...”

Seamus pondered for a moment. This time his eyes were clearly focused on the guys in front of him, looking wary. Logan just caught the attention of a waiter to get the new pancakes, while Eli was making sure his order was absolutely gluten free.

“… you’re, uhm, you’re kinda close to Pepperjack are you?” That actually caught him off guard. Seamus waved at the waiter to indicate they needed more time then refocused. “He was kinda buzzing all around you and your sister when you first arrived. I guess you became best friends or something?” It wasn’t an easy question, the amount of missing information was enough to make the prince wonder what to answer exactly. But it was the blonde’s tone the most concerning piece, it was teasingly open. Like he was testing something.

Krel was at loss for a moment. It didn’t seem enough to give him a version.

“Well… not really. He is just involved in some stuff.”

“Like what?”

“Uhm.” The prince looked down at the menu, only not to cross those eyes suddenly too big. “Not much, he is helping me overcome some… difficulties. Especially about my permanence here. He has proven to be quite useful.” Lying without lying made him feel so off, half relieved and free, half stuck with this weird heaviness all over his stomach.

The blonde nodded, still a little wary.

“So there’s nothing between you two?” 

“… there is the table.” An unusual question, but looking at that relieved and amused expression, it was probably the right answer. Krel picked up the menu written on the paper, try to get something between all those names and pictures – not understanding, what a weird feeling. “Why everything in this town is printed on such a fragile and perishable material is beyond me.” A simple climate change coming from the morning star and the academic prison, with all of its useless knowledge bricks, was going to be closed forever – once again, not the worst thing.

Logan snickered in front of them.

“He’s a fun weirdo! I like him!” He turned to the blonde, giving him a thumb up. “You have my blessing bro.” Why did he seem so solemn? And why was Seamus so red lately?

“Blessing for what??”

“I’ll leave it to your thoughts while I go to the bathroom. If my pancakes arrive and I see a single crumble out of place I’m gonna go full Gunrobot!” With very emphasized robot sounds made with his mouth Logan got up, making his way to the restroom. So apparently being overly passionate was a requirement for having Steve’s friendship.

Eli huffed, scooting a little so he was facing the couple.

“Like that’s a threat, Gunrobot 6 is as played out as the last three movies of the franchise! Everything is predictable, the characters, the plot, the music…”

Seamus grimaced for a sekton, then shrugged it off and gave Krel a little nudge.

“Imagine having your remixes played out on the big screen, I would totally go!” Silly, he thought he could flatter him so easily – stop being flattered, stupid human disguise!

“That sounds pretty good, I would totally see DJ Kleb in Gunrobot’s… in Gunrobot…” Eli’s gasp was so big he started coughing right after. “Oh my gosh, it’s perfect! I have to…! Ah, where is Toby when people need him?” He suddenly stood up, waving at a waitress. “Hey miss, do you have some paper and a pen? Also enough caffeine to stay awake for two to three days max?” That skinny boy was just plain confusing.

The blonde shook his head, picking up the menu.

“Do you wanna…” He shrugged sheepishly. “I don’t know, share a waffle? My favorite is the Strawberry Royale, it’s with vanilla ice cream, strawberries and whipped cream, a classic. I usually ask it with chocolate though, I think it’s better. What do you think?” So the chocolate the prince had before as a drink, and the strawberry wasn’t just the color of his hair apparently? Krel blinked, confused by all those appealing pictures of unknown aliments.

“That is a proposition… uhm…”

“… you don’t know what’s a waffle do you.”

“Hey, I know flapjacks! I wasn’t aware of a full culture regarding breakfast!” For some reason humans knew how to make the most of the frilliest things.

And then the human snickered, the same tender look that he had started to develop at some point. Like he genuinely thought he was endearing. What a weird guy. It came with plenty of questions how him lacing his arm so casually around his shoulders could sparkle such a sequence of feelings inside of him. But after putting some thought into all the situation Krel had concluded he didn’t need to know the answer right away. Like a scientific experiment, he was observing the situation while slowly building up a conclusion. Considering how confusing everything felt all together, this was the only practical way that made sense to him. Just to save his brain from overheating.

Seamus got closer, gently arching his arm around him so his hand could fall casually in front of his shoulder.

“Culture is the right word, I could put up a full lesson about sweets. From morning treats to your dinner conclusions, all the way to Italian desserts which are my favorites!” He hummed with superiority. “I’ll be a severe teacher though, the tiramisu formula is sacred.”

“What is a tiram-”

“Nope, you gotta raise your hand for a question.” Seamus snickered as the prince elbowed him. “I’ve got to bring you to a bakery one of these days.” A new escape? Great Gaylen if Krel wanted nothing more but to forget about his problems and lose himself once again.

“It sounds good.” It sounded great.

“… are you poking me?” Then something told him everything was going to fall apart, and all the warmth turned into ice.

Not because of the single suspicious, that still got him a little over the edge. Not for the realization that Steve had been as close to his sister as possible, which meant only one thing. Not even when he noticed there was in fact an extra pair of arms attached to his torso, since that came just after. After Eli the Pepperjack, the savior of Akiridion-5 and slayer of many parking drones, launched himself over him to hug right where his stomach was.

“Oh. My. Gosh.” He heard Mary’s phone falling down as silence followed.

Seamus’ face was so distorted for the surprise, uneasiness and silent fury his mouth stayed frozen mouth half opened for a very long time before slowly closing.

“Pepperjack, what the _heck_ are you doing??”

“Ooohh, you knoow…” Now the terms ‘sweating bullets’ had a specific meaning to him, Eli’s anxiety drops seemed more deadly than a serrator. “Just hugging, we’re hugging, that’s a friendly thing. I’m a friendly friend, uhm, person. A hugging friendly friend person. I like to give huuugs… with my aaarms… my _two_ normal aaarms…!” The precision of the human was impressive, he was squeezing his arms around him so the new set of appendages wouldn’t be shown. Given the situation there wasn’t much else that could had been done, especially since the blonde had been noticing something was off.

That did not in any way erase Krel’s horror, especially while realizing that Seamus’ arm was still around him. Just one little glance down with those blue eyes and it was going to be over. So he needed to… play along.

“O-of course, Eli. It is an absolutely normal reaction considering our close companionship. Let us, uhm…” A shiver of uneasiness caught him as soon as he hugged back. He was pretty sure Seamus’ jaw was rolling all over the table. “… hug it out. In a totally inconspicuous way that does not deserve attention. Since we are totally normal close acquaintances.” There was a high chance the waiters were looking as well with their eyes out of their orbits.

Eli swallowed, the most nervous looking grin on his face.

“Uhm, so… can you scoot a little so I can sit?” Seklos, the uneasiness had no end.

Seamus’ arm was gone from the prince's shoulders. The usual familiar fury in his eyes back instead. He pushed Krel to stand so he could get up – how embarrassing still having Eli attacked – and stuff his hands into his pockets.

“You might as well take my seat, I need some air.”

Krel bit his tongue. Everything he could had said now was only going to make things worse. So he hopelessly watched as the fuming blonde marched angrily outside, then sat back down at the table along with the creepslayer and let his head uncaringly fall on the table with a whine. He barely heard Mary murmuring something like ‘oh snap’, followed by Darci’s shushing sound. Not like he cared about that right now.

Eli was giving him some space, even as close as he could since his third and fourth arms weren’t exactly invisible. His eyes behind the glasses looked so guilty.

“I’m so sorry, I didn’t know what to do!”

“No, no.” Krel took a deep breath. “There weren’t many options anyway. The important thing is that nobody noticed.” He scratched his hair, as his Akiridion peculiarity finally wore off. “Now, coming up with some kind of explanation will prove to be far more complex.” There was really no catching a breath with them, this delson seemed absolutely endless. His wormhole generator still on work in progress, their retrieval mission interrupted by summer school, summer school a trap for their capture, colonel Kubtritz almost splitting him in halves with a serrator, Tronos Madu having them running for their lives and fall from a building…

What else, great Gaylen? What other challenge could you possibly-

“Nobody move!!” Oh. A female looking human just entered, wearing some sort of black headgear all over her face. “If I see even a single blink, _this one_ pays.” Holding Seamus’s neck in a chokehold with a crowbar, like she was ready to take his head off any moment.

… REALLY?!?

“Boss, the police is here!” Another man wearing the same goofy disguise came in, holding the door open for a second one. “And, uhm, I don’t see the monster for now…”

“How many times to I have to tell you this?? We were in the sewers, it was probably some toxic garbage just hanging around!!” Aja looked ready to fully toe-kick all three of them, but stopped as soon as the woman held the crowbar tighter. “A-ha, see? Child’s play, the police will not raise a finger without our permission as long as we have our little friend with us. This podunk town is really full of idiots!”. The hoodie woman snickered, pressing the bar harshly against the blonde’s throat. The guttural sound that came out made everyone shiver.

Made Krel shiver. To the top of his head all the way to his feet. Uncontrollably. His vision was zooming on the blonde’s terrified face, a loud whistle was making its way into his ears. He didn’t realize when Eli had dragged him down under the table. The nerd was shaking him worryingly.

“Krel, come on, we have to do something!” He had a paper bag in his hand for whatever reason – “Don’t… panic… don’t… panic…” –, and he seemed just as concerned by the situation if not more. But those words were truthful. It wasn’t hopeless. It wasn’t impossible. They could easily do something. No one needed to get hurt.

Not this time.

The prince took the deepest breath, looking at his serrator. They couldn’t act freely, not with an hostage on the other side. And their weapons were compromised. Aja was glaring with fury at the woman, while keeping an eye on him. Ready to shoot at one signal, like the prince needed to have the last word. Why? Because he knew more about the serrators’ conditions? Because they were a team and family? Because it was about Seamus, all sweaty, all shivering, his eyes searching for a way to escape?

They couldn’t risk such an impatient way to attack, absolutely not. There needed to be a more rational way to put an end to all of this-

“How long are we staying here, boss?”

“Yeah, there’s not much to take here anyway!”

“Not for long, actually we might as well leave. We just need to bring this incentive with us.” The woman was definitely smirking under her mask, bringing Seamus closer to her. “Don’t worry, _pretty face_. I’ll take good care of you.” She grinned, satisfied, and it was it.

Simply _it_.

“Now!!” That shout drove the general attention elsewhere. The low power serrator only worked in Aja favor: one hit, not powerful enough to take down an energy base enemy, but quick and quiet and aimed to the lamp. The wonder of it was going to be evident only after.

At the moment, Krel just found himself deaf and blind as he witnessed the hit getting the target, startling the woman and easing the hostage enough time for the prince to launch himself over and pushing him on the ground. Behind his back he barely heard something falling and a pained sound – the lamp over the woman, his sister truly was a resourceful when she was focused –, as the burning mist into his eyes faded and reality caught up with his panted breath. His entire body felt so foreign as he realized what he had just done.

Seklos and Gaylen. What was this planet doing to his sanity??

Abs pressing under Krel’s stomach started to feel real, and the prince finally caught up with himself. Somehow lost staring intensely at Seamus’ eyes, clear and dilated for the surprise. Only a little glance on a spoon on the floor let him realize the situation: there it was, the reflection of his human face, and his _Akiridion_ eyes. Well, only the irises, thank Seklos. But it seemed to be a blue too bright for being real, his pupils too deep to be human. His being too _weird_ to be seen. Krel tried to move away, his chest in a tight hold of concern.

But then Seamus’ hand gently went to his cheek, aligning their eyes once again. He looked captured, completely lost beneath him.

“Blue…?” His fingers were such a delicate caress, feeble as a whisper, like it was such a precious discover he couldn’t risk to broken it. His eyes were soft, reflecting Krel’s with scary perfection. Mirroring the same confused gaze, the same gently parted lips, and the same expression of awe, like he couldn’t quite believe this was real.

It went away quickly.

“You little brat!” That woman was definitely tough, not many could survive Aja once in the mood. She got her crowbar up again. “Now you’re gonna get it, you hear me??” Krel get off the startled blonde, swallowing while bringing a hand to his serrator. Another hit and their secret was most likely going to be exposed once and for all. But if he was being forced to…

One of the hoodie man screamed, grabbing the woman’s arm.

“Uh, b-boss??”

“Not now you idiot!”

“Nah-huh, now is the only time!” The two men were frozen on the place, one of them pointing at the glass door. Someone was charging towards them, big and angry.

The woman’s weapon fell on the ground.

“No… not again!!” There were a few police cars parked in front of the building, apparently obstacles to the march. But as soon as he was in proximity, the beast jumped and landed right in front of the entrance, opening the doors with his big arms. AAARRRGGHH!! roared fiercely at the burglars, bumping his fists against the ground. His eyes were menacingly shining of black and green, drool was coming down his big fangs. At that point, one of the humans just fainted right there. The other fell on his knees, a whining very close to crying, while the woman went completely on the ground, shaking in fear.

Toby climbed down his big friend, grinning from ear to ear.

“Are you guys for real? It’s the second time I see you making troubles, better be the last!” The woman nodded frantically, shivering like a baby larvox. “Oh and don’t think you can cause problems somewhere else. The moment you’ll hit the news, we’ll be after you.” He showed his phone, where an internet page of some kind of showing those guys faces. “I’m not the only trollhunter out there. Officer, get him!”

“Alright, you had your fun Domzalski.” Officer Scott came in right that moment, along with a few cops that went to handcuffs the baddies – and drag the fainted one outside. “… Darci!”

“Dad!” The girl ran to his father, hugging him close, then switched to her boyfriend with a kiss on his cheek. “Toby you’re amazing, you did it again! And AAARRGGHH!! of course, that was so cool!” The big guy giggled, scratching the back of his head – and almost knocking out an entire table with it.

Toby snickered, blushing a little.

“Well you know, ordinary administration!”

“It seems to me your ordinary administration is getting close to a job at the police department.” Detective Scott had his arms crossed over his chest, even though an angle of his mouth seemed a little higher than the other. He looked at another man dressed similar as him. “Officer Brennan, evacuate the civils and make sure there are no wounded.”

“Roger that.”

“Seamus! Kentin! Are you guys okay?” Passing the nick, Mary’s care seemed genuine, especially on his friend Seamus. Who looked truly out of it and was still insistently focused on the prince. “Wow, can you believe it? Is there anything we can’t survive too? Hashtag arcadiansknowbetter!!” She raised her hand and waited for Darci for the high five, since none of the guys was particularly focused. Especially not Krel.

Aja followed right after, hugging her brother. Probably for both practical and affectionate reasons.

“… oh, Seamus, you had a really bad fall! Officer Scott! This teen ager was a hostage and then fell on the ground, he should get analyzed by whoever is charged to take care of people!” Not a genius, but Aja was still undoubtable smart.

“You did? Seamus why didn’t you tell me sooner?” The man scooted closer, giving the guy a closer look. “Ah, your dad would want my head if something happened to you!” He smiled, even though he was probably speaking the truth. “Let’s get you checked. You guys get out of here, this place will be placed under surveillance.” He helped the blonde to get up, a hand on his back as he walked him out. Seamus seemed too out of himself to resist, turning his head behind his shoulder to meet Krel’s eyes. He seemed confused. Worried. Of course he was. There was no saving from what he saw, Krel knew that much.

Better focus on the present, which was trollhunter shaped apparently.

“Sorry for the late, Claire saw those guys breaking out on the news and warned us. Didn’t know they were coming here, but at least they were on the way!” Toby gave him a very familiar looking tool box. “Can you fix it quick? We can’t really stay here…”

Krel huffed, grabbing his plasma wrench.

“Who do you think you are talking too?”

Five mekrons later one problem was solved.

The next one the prince couldn’t deal with with his superior mind, no matter how much he wished he could. There was nothing in sight the he could confidently work on, nothing familiar or easy. No clear mechanism, no energy panel, no motherboard, no clear scheme. Not even a manual, a descriptive tome that could be about pretty much everything in existence – even screwing in a lightbulb, for Seklos’ sake!

Just a blonde guy waiting for him outside the building, a band-aid on his right elbow, playing distractively with the edges. Seamus looked up, then immediately down. Not good.

“Can we talk? Alone possibly.”

Krel turned around. Aja and Steve were still close – even now that there was no need anymore, fligshaag – while Eli was caught up blabbering something about ‘alien DJ hero’ and ‘best movie premiere’ and ‘contest winners’ to Toby, who was looking at him excitedly. The others humanswere regrouping, included the Logan person that had gone in the bathroom prior – “What in the name of pancakes happened here?!?”

They seemed to be a solved problem. The prince nodded.

One in front of the other, right next to the Sam place that was getting wrapped with yellow ribbons by the policemen – now that the building was partially ruined they were gonna give it out as a present? – and with no one to interrupt this time. It was silent for a long while, to the point the prince considered breaking it first. He was the one that needed to give some kind of explanation after all. He had been acting weird all delson, and that was beside how his eyes had turned blue all of the sudden. Seamus saw it. It was a fact. He saw it, so deeply, so intensely, lost into his sight…

“Johnson, look-”

“No, no, wait.” Seamus interrupted him promptly, clearing his voice. “You don’t need to explain. I think I know why you’ve been acting strange.” All possible explanations were crushed by those simple words. The annoying sounds of the police’s cars faded away.

Krel was left gaping at him.

“You do?!” No way, it was impossible.

“Yeah, I mean, I put together all the pieces.” The blonde started counting on his fingers. “You’ve tried to avoid contact as much as you could. You were reluctant to spend time with me alone. And the fact that you were always with Pepperjack kinda gave it away, I mean, everyone knows he’s the expert to call about this kind of situations.” He knew. He actually knew about them. How was that possible? Were they really that bad at hiding? Was it really that obvious? “Why didn’t you tell me right away? I mean, it’s not that big of a deal.”

“What? Are you being serious?” The blonde just shrugged. “Of course it is! To me, to us, to everyone involved! Very much so actually!” The prince let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding, looking down. Relief, confusion and guilt was mixing chaotically into his core.

Seamus pouted aggressively.

“Well, okay, but trying to figure it out was torture! I got so paranoid all day, thinking some very weird stuff and…!” The blonde inhaled deeply, extinguishing the flame before it got over him. “I guess I’m just mad I didn’t know since the beginning. I mean…” He scratched his neck, finally smiling. “It doesn’t change how I feel about you.” How simple it was for this guy to unleash such feelings. Like there was nothing else that mattered around them.

“… really?” The prince felt shock and joy hurting his cheeks.

“Of course.” What a beautifully serene expression the blonde was giving him. It made him want to enjoy it as long as he could. “I mean, whatever allergy it is it’s just that.” 

“Thank Gaylen, I… what did you say?”

Those were some very nice five sektons. Seamus hummed mindlessly.

“Took for granted it was an allergy since Pepperjack knows all the secrets of the gluten one, but I guess it could be any kind of sickness. I’m pretty sure that guy has doctor Lake’s number on the speed dial. It’s something similar, right? It would explain the eyes too.”

“My eyes?”

“… they turned blue for a moment.” The blonde blushed gently, and there was no avoiding the thought that took place into the prince’s head. It was indeed a very beautiful sight. “I thought I was seeing things, but in retrospect it’s not unbelievable. There are many cases where eyes can change color, at biology class I even heard of people’s eyes changing in brown because of it. Never knew about the other way around, but I’m not a doctor. Just a genius.” He smirked, turning to the prince with a sly smile. “Didn’t think of you as the self-conscious type, you really didn’t want me to find out huh?” He was giving him an excuse. Somehow the blonde’s knowledge did not make him suspicious, instead it worked as an explanation. It was such luck it seemed unfair.

Was he going to let it wasted? Xerexes' maelstrom, no. Krel nodded as quickly as possible, holding himself to be still and believable.

“Yes, correct, that is absolutely right. I was pretty, uhm, ashamed about my appearance, as a consequence of this biologic reaction.” It felt surprisingly bad actually. Really bad. He did lie before, why was it different now? “It is a… problem, that had bothered me only for today, since Toby brought me what I needed to return to a more pleasant attire.” That was a little better. The farthest he could go with the truth.

Seamus hummed.

“But why didn’t you tell me from the beginning?”

“It didn’t exactly come into mind…”

“At least a warning, did you think I was gonna judge you for… oh, right.” The blonde sucked the air and sighed, scratching his hair with frustration. “What am I even saying? Of course you didn’t tell me. I mean, I called you a cheater, I screamed at you to come back to wherever you come from… and that’s without adding my dad’s part.”

The prince gasped. Everything falling into place to this extent seemed excessive. Unfair.

“That is not why I…!

“Hey, no worries. It’s on me.” Every other retort died in his throat as soon as the blonde took his hand. “I’m very sorry about that, I was idiot… still am sometimes.” He grimaced, taking a deep breath. “But I swear there are good parts, and I’m doing my best to show them to you. We couldn’t even get the waffle, but it’s still on. You and me this time, when you will be okay of course. Promise.” He looked so sincere. So honest and willing to apologize.

It stung. For the first time it felt truly painful, watching those words offered in his honor as there was really a hurt to make up for. As Krel didn’t try to avoid him all this time for not revealing his extraterrestrial form. As it had been really some kind of unpleasant biological reaction that had made him appear so unusual. As somehow the blonde was the one in the wrong, in need to apologize. All this, while the prince couldn’t even tell him what was truly going on.

Holding his hand right now felt so nice. But even as close as they were, Krel could feel lightkeltons of distance.

… what a useless sequence of thoughts. He had managed to keep the secret, and they were still in good terms. A glorious victory to be sure, Varvatos would had said. That was all that needed to matter. For his family’s sake, and himself’s. Krel smiled, as best as he could.

“I’d gladly take that bakery offer as well.” The endearing smile he got in return was enough to make him forget about the rest. For now.

“Hey Seamus, you should really check your calls.” Officer Scott came to them, holding up his own phone that seemed to generate ultrasounds from how hard the person was screaming on the other line. “Thomas couldn’t reach you and asked me, he’s already into the concerned anger phase. You not answering isn’t really doing much for easing it.” His eyes went on their united hands only for a second, his mouth curved up just a little before his attention moved on. That kind of discretion was very appreciated.

Seamus groaned loudly, checking his phone with his left hand – without letting go the other, great Gaylen the summer!

“Great, just what I wanted. At least it’s not about calculus anymore.”

“I’m already giving a lift to Mary and Logan while I bring Darci home, wanna join? I have one seat left.” The policeman offered Krel a smile. “I can ask officer Brennan to bring you and your sister home.” To serve and protect, he had said when they first met. Politeness wasn’t necessarely included. This was just a nice man.

Krel looked at Aja. They had dealt with the Earthen authorities enough for today.

“That is alright, our residence is but a few blocks away.”

“Okay but be careful on your way, you never know. I’ll wait for you in the car Seamus.”

The blonde nodded, then clenched his hold gently. _Warm_. There was no way this much was merely caused by the cyclic seasons. It was more intense, close, personal. Seamus seemed so at ease, looking right at him like there was such a view beyond. Or right in front of him.

“Almost forgot, thanks for the save. How did the lamp fall off like that?” Thank Gaylen he didn’t notice, for once Krel thanked the malfunctioning serrator. “Anyway, that was one of the coolest thing I’ve ever seen.” Cool, still insisting with this particular imprecise temperature. It seemed an extremely wrong assessment, especially considering how that moment fell into a way higher level of climate into his head. A pure warm memory.

The prince nodded absently, looking at their united hands.

“It was peculiar. I did not intend to go and rescue you.” He ignored how the blonde’s eyes got surprised and a little upset. “What I mean is, the last thing I wanted was to put anyone in danger. You were under such a risk, me rushing in was a terribly dangerous move. And I meant to avoid it, of course I did. I wanted to come up with a plan. But then that woman became… too close.” Krel frowned, his eyes lost in how the different shades of their fingers were folded. “I fail to understand it, I just wished to blast her out of space for some reason… what?” Seamus seemed so surprised and excited his usual frowny tracts were completely gone.

“Tarron, were you jealous too??”

Krel blinked.

“Jealous?” Seamus nodded, still astonished. That was not an emotion the prince was unfamiliar with, especially regarding his sister’s popularity and skills. But harboring desire of possession regarding a _person_? That seemed fairly excessive. Yet… “Huh, I am not sure. I guess it is a concrete possibility … hey what do you mean with to-” Seamus gave him the sweetest smile, raised one of the prince’s hands and gingerly kissed it. It felt barely like a touch. In truth it was like a caress of those gentle lips on his knuckles. Surrounding them there was a sound in the air, like a fading whisper. Too low to be heard. Too precious to be acknowledged.

So focused and serene, as soon as they crossed eyes again the blonde turned completely red, like he didn’t mean to act like that. He didn’t, but couldn’t help it.

“So, uhm… see you soon, your majesty.” He seemed on the verge of recurring to his usual facepalm method. Or not. Or yes. Everything was vague. And certain. And _pure_.

Krel swallowed, bringing his warm hand over his core.

“Mhm.” He would had liked to add something more meaningful, or coherent, or anything for the matter. But he was stuck into this absolute feeling, slowly fading as Seamus walked away with his ears impossibly red. The prince was left stuck, hopeless, watching without a reason that guy as he got the biggest welcoming reaction at the police car, with Mary screaming like crazy and Darci and Logan giving him smirks and elbows. As officer Scott drove them away, snickering on his part as well, it left behind such a silence and quietness that felt appealing for some reason.

Some wide space for his burning thoughts.

“Krel?” Aja waved at him. She smiled sweetly, pointing at another car: Steve and Eli were taking off on officer Brennan’s car, while Toby was getting back on his trusty troll. “Let’s go back to the Mothership, come on.” They had time just to wave at them. It was very late indeed, barely time for a salute. There was the need for saying thank you in the sincerest way, for saving them from Kubritz, for standing by their side, and for watching their back. Those there the warriors they could count on. But not right now. Not when everything made so little and so much sense at the same time, leaving him with very little control over his powerful mind. And even less concern over it.

His sister was definitely grinning, yet she seemed unusually discrete, almost serious. Like there was some important business to attended to. Like the delson wasn’t truly over, at least in her opinion.

The prince just followed her, holding that hand over his chest without even thinking. It seemed like every time he and Seamus met, something changed a little, messing up his entire perspective. It was frustrating. It was annoying. It was intriguing like very few other things in his life. The town passed by as they went back to the ship, with no sight of Zadra patrolling the area. Unusual. What kind of difficulties did their guardians encounter during their mission?

As soon as they entered the ship they both turned down their transduction, sighing in clear relief after a delson spent evading very close calls. Aja marched towards the secret entrance of the main deck, without saying a word. It probably had to do with Tronos, it probably had to do with their parents. That whole new mess, he could deal with later. His mind was elsewhere as well. So full of ideas, and thoughts, and feelings. Almost unbearable. Almost too warm. Krel thought about going to his room and maybe rest a bit, just to have the luxury to have some inner peace. Or simply to… stop thinking for a while.

A smile came on its own. He got to his bed and found the guitar leaning against it. 

“_You’re a DJ, you should know the benefit of listening to music. It’s therapeutic or something._”

He took the instrument and went back to the sofa, sitting comfortably with crossed legs. His fingers caressed the strings, the sound vibrated in the air giving him shivers. He started going through every single cord, eyes closed, just enjoying the feeling of such a powerful sound able to shift by his will. By his feelings. At that point it was only a matter of letting himself be guided. 

His fingers placed with more precision, while the two extra pair of hands that had caused him so much trouble resting quietly on his knees. He took a deep breath.

“C, G, C, G. Easy.” Humans, giving the cords names, they were truly forgetful huh. And bizarre. Sensible. Captivating. “… _wise men say, only fools rush in_.” Krel smiled, his hand still so warm. “_But I can’t help, falling in_… in… how was it?” Exactly that. Songs could be heard everywhere on Earth, his box of boom was merely one of the numerous conductors. And most of them didn’t make a flexel of sense, words put together with no coherency. Also, learning how to reproduce them was stupidly easy.

He huffed, changing the tune, looking down at the instrument. It was not easing his emotions, such intensity was still vivid inside him. And perhaps it wasn’t bad. Not his mind slowly adapting to new thoughts, nor his cheeks glowing once again. Somehow, it was pleasantly chaotic.

The door was opened and, finally, Zadra came in. She was panting, her hair covered with leaves.

“Zadra?” And no one behind her. “Where’s Luug?”

“Retrival ray, retrieved.” She breathed out, waving at the door.

Krel beamed at her, leaving the guitar on the sofa, rushing outside to get just another piece for his wormhole generator. The perfect conclusion for a long an very, _very_ eventful delson.

BONUS

Woke up from what was supposed to be a thirty minutes nap one hour later. Forgot to take a shower and decided to dump soap and water all over his face – a bad idea, with his irritated eyes wide open. Took forever to choose what kind of scarf to wear only to remember it was summer and there were twenty five degrees outside. Wore one of his stupidly long collection of black shirts with the realization that he truly had nothing else in his entire wardrobe. Felt like an idiot for five good minutes, got out of house without shoes – really? –, got back in to put them on, forgot the wallet – really?? –, grabbed it and finally rushed out. Seamus had never felt this sweaty before, not even when he was trying to get into the basketball team in middle school.

He panted all the way though the main center, stopping in front of a crosswalk, probably getting weird out looks from some passant. It would had been so embarrassing usually. He had fought against high school through appearance and menaces after all.

Not today … ah, the grin was back, dang it. His phone vibrating was good distraction.

_ Tarron _ : Apologies, I might arrive five mekrons late

_ Tarron _ : I mean minutes

Nope, no way he could ignore his chest fluttering. He really needed to ask Krel to teach him some Cantaloupian, at least to understand some of the things he had said before – what were exactly Seklos and Gaylen?

He crossed the road, almost bumping into a man with a couple of twins following and not caring a bit. This day was so sunny and bright. The hot air smelled unusually nice. His usual frowny and grumpy self would had not appreciated, dealing with the bad mood after dad’s usual tantrum. Instead it had been a while since the latest, even after the Sam’s situation that man didn’t spend much on high vocals. Weird, but not unwelcomed.

Seamus took the road near the main shops, Zimue, GdT Arcane, leaving it to his feet to guide him and going back to his phone.

_ Me _ : No prob, I’ll wait for you

_ Me _ : Something happened?

_ Tarron _ : My current invention requires a supplement piece, while I am out I’m entrusting Staja to go and retrieve it since Aja insisted on helping

_ Tarron _ : I am quite scared they might ditch my tech needs and go on a date

Another fascinating thing about this guy: foreign student, math genius, music celebrity, pretty – what, who said that, eheh –, and even an inventor. There was so much to discover. Seamus bit his lip, pondering just what kind of place he might be working in. An old cabin from the eighties? Or a hidden garage? The coolest would had been some kind of super futuristic lab, like in the last alien movie he went to see with Logan. Ah, but that was only in fiction.

_ Me _ : Aren’t you ditching your invention to go on a date with me?

_ Tarron _ : Our hanging outs are different

_ Tarron _ : Very different

_ Me _ : How so?

_ Tarron _ : I know for a fact those two will break something

_ Tarron _ : I’m confident our meeting won’t hold such destructive power

Seamus snickered, dodging a pole without looking up.

_ Me _ : Fair enough

_ Me _ : Can I see the invention when it’s done?

An unmoving moment that he did not see coming. Krel was not typing anything, like he forgot how to write, or really couldn’t. Seamus frowned at his phone, waving distractively at a group of his friends that seemed in a hurry to go somewhere to have fun. The bakery was close, the sign in full view and the shop window beautifully arranged with all kinds of deliciousness.

The blonde leaned against a column.

_ Me _ : Tarron?

_ Tarron _ :…

_ Tarron _ : I don’t know

_ Tarron _ : There is still much to do

Oh, maybe it wasn’t as worrisome as he thought.

_ Me _ : Alright, let me know how it goes, I like science

_ Me _ : Bet you’re doing something pretty amazing

There was no answer after that. Not like it mattered, the Cantaloupian was probably on his way anyway. Seamus breathed quietly, looking around. Arcadia, his hometown, was such a weird place. Full of really weird people – and trolls apparently. He never would had thought he would had found it endearing all of the sudden.

“… mm?” His phone was ringing, an unregistered number. “Hello?”

“-Steve finally! You have no idea what me and Toby are doing, stay free and keep your acting sk-”

“Pepperjack?”

“-Huh?… oh, Seamus, sorry! I wanted to call Steve! I’m a little too much under the caffeine effect to watch where my fingers are pointing!-” That tone of voice was definitely too high, and the tapping on the background was most likely a nervous foot going up and down. “-Didn’t mean to bother you, I’m sure you’re busy doing stuff so…-”

“Wait, Pepperjack, why do you have my number?” Oh that came out very not nicely. There was really something that he still needed to adjust.

Eli didn’t seem to notice.

“-We were in the same science project the first year. I got all of our teammates’ numbers in case we needed to organize a session in someone’s house. We ended up doing all of our parts separated so I never used it, but it’s still here.-” That was quite a while ago, but not as much for Seamus to completely forget. Mostly because he was pretty sure he got the skinny boy to do his part with some nudges and harsh words – he was already super smart, why waste time doing this he thought.

Seamus sighed, scratching his neck with his free hand.

“Yeah, sorry about that.” A laugh. “What? I’m serious here!”

“-I know. Man things are different, now that the deepest secrets of Arcadia are finally coming to light, it's like everything and everyone are changing! This city is the nest of the unusual!-” It was quite ironic that what that little nerd speculated about actually came true. “-Don’t worry really. Steve and I are bros now, and you’re hanging out with Krel. We’re more than good!-” That final laugh sounded a lot like the result of the caffeine effect, but the rest seemed genuine.

The blonde hummed, still insecure.

“Good to know, uh.” It didn’t feel right to end it just like that, especially after how badly the blonde was eyeing nerdy boy the other day. Being jealous of Eli Pepperjack, never thought that day would had come. “Listen, about when we went to Sam’s…”

Something fell and broke on the other side, like a cup made of glass.

“-That was the light!!-” The high pitch of his natural voice and the absence of sleep, mixed with a high dose of coffee, was enough for anyone to want to tear of their ear. “-You see there are some special kind of eyes that are able to change color because of the different illumination, and Krel’s are particularly susceptible and that’s why they were blue! There’s absolutely no other weird speculating reason besides that, promise!-” He took the deepest breath, coughing a little, slurping from another mug – wait how many cups did he have?

Seamus froze for a moment. His mind felt lost.

“They changed… because of the light?” A convinced hum. “Not because of allergy, sickness or something along the line?” One big hesitation. “Pepperjack?”

“- … that’s… that’s a very good theory too. I-I’m happy you didn’t freak out and kept your rationality!-” Eli cleared up terribly his voice. “-I just wanted to make sure you didn’t have weird theories or anything else. Did… did Krel tell you something about it?-” That was such a vulnerable tone. Like he just put a very big bet and was in absolute need of a good outcome. Knowing if the Cantaloupian and the blonde had some deep conversation about that moment. Making sure they were on the same page.

Seamus shuddered thinking about Krel’s worried look, as he complied with his allergy theory.

“… not really. So it was the light, huh.”

Eli breathed of relief, covering it with various coughs.

“-Yep, totally! Well, I better go! I’m putting my heart into this project and no one will stop me!-”

“Good luck then. Bye…” The call ended.

Seamus weakly put the phone in his pocket, feeling suddenly the sunlight too much over his head.

What just happened? What _was_ that? The fact alone that Krel’s eyes had turned blue – and mesmerizing and no, wait, focus – all of the sudden after saving him from a crazy woman with a crowbar was mind-blowing. And that was fine, good even. But this incoherency, it was like they both had decided to grab the first excuse they could find to cover up their mess. Maybe he got it wrong. Maybe he was making a big fuss, just like with his jealousy for Eli… right?

“Sorry for the delay.” Krel snickered at the little jump the blonde had. “You seem quite excited as well for today’s exploration.” He seemed so happy, like their message exchange had put him in a good mood. “… is there something wrong?” Not enough to make him unobservant,.

Seamus swallowed, his throat was dry.

“Uh, I’m just a little sleepy. I woke up suddenly after a nap, got some soap into my eyes, there was this scarf I was putting on without reason and… did you drop that?” Something to direct his attention, to ease this feeling of wrongness. But truth to be told there was indeed a black thing on the ground. It looked like some kind of bracel- Oh. Oh how beautifully all doubts and tension melted from his chest. 

Krel quickly picked it up, making sure it was fine, smirking at him. It was a bracelet made of little spheres of black rocks, shaped nicely round while keeping the rough surface.

“Extend you wrist towards me please.” The blonde complied, in awe of what was happening. “… the measurements I requested are perfect, like I predicted. You are now in possession of a extraterrestrial mineral coming directly from the Earth’s moon, yet you have not been in space. Since it’s a present from me, I believe it is a victory on my side on the astronomy field.” How arrogant. Snooty. Prideful.

Seamus snickered, turning his wrist to see how nicely it looked.

“I’ll give you that, but only because I still rule over the math realm.”

“You have been dethroned a long time ago, you math blonde.” Krel looked away for a moment. “In truth I am no expert regarding fashion or accessories. Stuart helped me with this, but his taste is questionable so I would appreciate your honest opinion.” His honest opinion, yeah. That might had raised too many other dilemmas, starting with why was he making up excuses instead of telling him the truth straightforwardly. Because it was a problem.

… was it? Well, not really, no, not at all actually. A burden, yes, but not an issue. So his date had beautiful blue eyes sometimes, big deal. Domzalski had a troll. A _troll_. It wasn’t that bad and he knew it. It wasn’t that bad, and he knew it.

Seamus smiled, looking into his _brown_ eyes.

“It’s great. Thank you.” He wanted to believe it was doing was worth it. Worth keeping a few doubts and insecurities for himself and not jump to weird conclusions. Worth not wondering why would this guy hide the truth about something as meaningless as the color of his eyes. Worth not questioning if Krel was able to lie about something else. Maybe even less relevant. Or way more important.

All that was left, as they entered the bakery, was just a very light and ignorable _doubt_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm doing mah stuff, are you preparing yourself? ;)
> 
> While waiting for Wizards (GDT COME OOONNN) I've been rewatching Trollhunters A LOT and after seeing those three burglars from "Arcadia's most wanted", I just had to traumatize them again XD Also I got little excuse to sprinkle some jealousy over my math dorks :3  
If you haven't seen The Book of Life, first of all go IMMEDIATELY, second of all Diego Luna sings that same piece Krel was humming with the guitar. And it's dreamy so... *u*  
Well then, no promises, but I think next chapter probably won't take nearly as long. Mostly because it's literally in my head and I've been dying to put it down, so yeah! I wanna write! And I did all my exams so I'm free for a while, yeeh!! ^ ^
> 
> Thanks for reading! Leave a comment, a kudos, a spaghettification and DON'T FORGET TO FEED THE BUSTER!!!  
See ya!! Byee!!
> 
> P.S. As usual tell me if I made errors, anyway Charlie Saxton apparently is recording stuff for Wizards? Not sure if they are still working on it or it's a major change... I NEED MATERIAL DREAMWORKS!!!


	6. Just an orbit closer

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! I'm finally back!  
Krel's attire in this chapter is inspired by [this](https://trollmarket-dog.tumblr.com/post/182982508272/a-krel-to-go-with-that-aja-i-drew-a-few-days-ago) lovely fanart I saw a while ago, made by trollmarket-dog on Tumblr <3  
What's left to say? It's good to be back with my favorite math dorks ;)  
Enjoy! ^ ^

It wasn’t hard remembering the difficult time Aja had while learning how to be patient – even if the memories regarding the Arcadia Oaks High Science Fair at the planetarium were still a bit confusing. However Krel never really put much thought into it; there was after all a direct correlation with the battlefield, an area he truly had little interest to explore. But after a more attentive reconsideration, even the prince had been forced to acknowledge the potential, and the intricacy. Indeed it was a rather complicated force to surrender oneself to, a wide space for the mind to wonder and for the time to stream maniacally slowly. It was frustrating like few other things he could think of. Right there, fidgeting with the edge of his sweater, Krel’s respect for his sister grew exponentially.

Patience, patience, patience. It had been merely five mekrons, yet it felt like keltons! It was ridiculous, this was barely an occasion. A last minute event after Mother had insisted he took a break from the lab, and after her explaining there was no damaged items in it just get out – rude. It wasn’t even his first date, nor his first time at Arcadia’s theatre, there was no reason for him to be this agitated … o r eager.

Krel crossed his arms over his chest. More than ever he could feel the casual looks of the people around, possibly questioning why this clearly common-like human had been waiting for mekrons in front of the building of big moving picture stories like a big buttsnack.

I t was a good thing he cared little about humans.

“Hey! Sorry for the late.” Most of them. “Oh wow…” Not even two sektons after his arrival and Seamus was speechless.

Was the math blonde so shocked by his style? To inaugurate the delson Mother had decided to mess with his serrator’s code once again, saying something about being an  earthling tradition and possessing a certain knowledge about terrestrial fashion and my royal you would look highly adorable in this. Today her tastes had oriented on a white sweater with short sleeves, a large head pocket that humans called ‘hoodie’ and the face of a black terrestrial cat drawn on it – that seemed highly inappropriate.

Krel grimaced, looking down at his clothes.

“I knew I should have brought my usual attire…”

“What? No! Why?” The blonde laughed breathlessly, scratching his cheek, tender blue eyes fixed on his appearance. “It just caught me off guard… you look really pretty.” Kleb. Suddenly Krel was very happy Mother had messed with the code of his deadly Akiridion weapon while he was busy tinkering with time-space portals. “Shall we enter?” Seamus grinned at him, in his core the prince felt it was going to be a nice delson. They entered the theatre, the light of the morning star slowly disappearing from their heads.

Krel looked around, still not quite used to the change of light from the outside to the inside of terrestrial buildings. Everything was glowing of the same vivid energy on Akiridion-5. Here the choices were less refined, but more diversified.

“Is this a common place of your liking?”

“I’d say. I do love a good movie marathon every once in a while, especially if it’s about sci-fi or space. I guess I kinda have a thing for aliens.” How hard it was holding that sudden cough burning into his throat. “Speaking of which, you never told me you were an alien!” To the point it became completely impossible, and he found himself choking on nothing in the middle of the entrance, with Seamus’ worried caresses on his back.

“Seklos…!”

“Whoa, are you okay? I didn’t know it was a secret, I heard it from Steve.” That traitor! And Krel even defined him not such a lumbering oaf! “If it makes you feel better, I haven’t told a soul. You’re secret is safe with me, captain DJ Kleb.” … alright, slightly-higher-than-lumbering-oaf status acquired once again. But all of these close calls were starting to hit him very hard – he did not wish to have a core-attack anytime soon.

Seamus winked at him, and the normality of the meeting was established once again. Krel took a breath as deep as the supposedly unsuspicious circumstances allowed him to.

“Forgive me, I was… surprised. As, uhm, the movie is still under work in progress.”

“Ah, got it. I don’t know much, just that Steve will probably try to steal you the lead.” Good luck attaching two extra human arms on that blonde oaf’s torso then. “Pepperjack sure has imagination. I mean, Kleb or Alive, The Adventure of Captain DJ Kleb, Intergalactic Man of Mystery and Weekend DJ, Episode IV! Eh, that’s a lot.”

“… that is also a lot for someone that claims to know little.”

“I’m just saying, it’s a little pretentious. Not that I would expect anything less since you’re the star.” Krel pouted, the blonde simply smirked. “Don’t worry, that doesn’t stop the hype. I’m definitely looking forward to it.” Infuriating as always, how the simplicity and even the irony of his words could spark the wrong emotions in him. There had to be a universal silent alphabet Krel was not aware of, right? It certainly  would had explained why the perspective of the upcoming movie had suddenly acquired more appeal.

A few guys cleared loudly their voices behind their stalling. Seamus rolled his eyes and circled the prince’s waist with his arm, pushing him forward. In just a few steps they were in line, looking at quite the amount of people in front of the ticket office. The red of the carpet was captivating with a certain ceremonial vibe, while the smell of popped corn was spread and quite mouthwatering – fligshaag, were these disgusting human reactions ever going to end?

Krel found himself lost in the undistinguished chatter around him, as the hand on his hip left but not the comforting close distance the two of them had acquired.

“What are we going to watch?”

“Nothing exciting, to be honest. Mary literally forced this one on me, she blabbered that ‘it’s perfect for dates’ and ‘it will set the right mood’ and “O-M-G that one actor is so dang cute’.” He rolled his eyes. “Knowing her, it’s probably some kind of overly romantic movie or something. Bleah… but, huh, it’s cool if you’re into that stuff.” That care was appreciated, but not needed. Of course humans were full of nauseating couple projections. It looked rather simple identify the chosen movie’s poster, as one in particular showed two teen agers very close to each other into some kind of dark environment – also the male looked quite pale, like he could easily burn under the sun… well, if there was one thing he couldn’t criticize about humans, it was their imagination.

The prince huffed, feeling the excitement of that morning fading. Just a little.

“I have witnessed enough couple moments the other delson. Uh, I mean-” 

“Day, I know.” Perceptive guy, Krel almost forgot. “Tough one?”

“You wouldn’t believe!” He brought a hand on his forehead. “Between the Staja usual displays of affection and Varvatos with Toby’s grandma, everything was simply unbearable. Without talking about Stuart and his ex!” The fact that the trick he had pulled on the Gorbon’s back with the  h overboard was the most amazing thing he had ever accomplished in his life – physically at least, he was getting there scientifically – did not cover the annoyance. “I still cannot believe everything started because Gwendolyn asked Stuart to ‘grab a bite’…”

“She wanted to have dinner with your uncle Stuart?”

“Uhm, something like that.” Better not get too much into details. “It degenerated terribly from there, and at the end I was even forced to intervene.” Krel shook his head. “I just fail to understand, how can such meetings be considered profitable? All of that being together, and going to places alongside, and sharing intimate moments…”

Seamus snickered, arching an eyebrow.

“Don’t we do that too, though?” The prince’s face must had been quite the show of astonishment, seeing how the blonde  covered his mouth as a sudden laugh shook him over.

His voice resonated, silencing any background noise. It seemed like the air between them had become more and more crystalline after each one of their encounters. More vivid and impressive to see every time. All the details were accentuated, the shape of his nose, the number of his freckles. Things Krel had failed to focus on before.

Fascinating. And unprecedent. He looked down, crossing his arms.

“That cannot be the same.”

On the other hand, Seamus was still grinning.

“ Oh yeah?  How so?”

“Whenever I look at the Steve and Aja, or Varvatos with Mrs. Domzalski, I feel uncomfortable.”

“Uh-huh.”

“But when I am in your presence… it is even more uneasy, of course, but I would never want to leave. How can their dating and our dating being the same thing, while it is nothing like this warmth I experience whenever I’m with you?” Dating felt like such a repelling event into his mind, he still had problems acknowledging what his sister and his guardian would do in their beloved’s presence. Then there was him and Seamus, and it was unexplainably nice. Truly. If they were all participating to the same ritual, why it all felt so different?

It was a question that could not be answered with his scientific knowledge, Krel could accept that. But the dumbfounded look the blonde left him with was not a valid response either. Was he broken? Could humans break? It wouldn’t had been the first unorthodox and quite bothersome characteristic of them – probably wasn’t going to be the last, great Gaylen may have mercy on them.

Seamus gaped, raising his finger only to bring it up and down several times, probably on the verge of some kind of tantrum. Then he covered his mouth with his palm, whining against it.

“Tarron, you… y-you can’t just say stuff like that!”

“Why not?” Krel had no idea what to make of that suddenly so sheepish behavior of his date. How he wished sometimes he had a better grasp of human social culture. “Is this one of those white lie situations? Would you prefer me to hide the truth for the greater good?” He  had  even avoided to bring up the impossibility of coloring a nonphysical concept like a lie – maybe he was finally getting accustomed to the terrestrial nonsense?

The blonde blinked,  frozen, his eyes getting cold for just a sekton .

“No, don’t… don’t ever lie. I wouldn’t like it.” He scratched his head, taking a deep breath. It sounded a little pressured as a sigh. “… you know, I think I have a theory.”  This guy knew how to get his scientific attention. “Maybe you don’t like the idea of that type of couple in particular? You know, with a girl, like Aja, that likes a boy, like Steve. That kind of thing.” Didn’t all humans fall into the homo sapiens species regardless of their gender? Why did that make it a relevant difference into a couple situation?

Krel leaned a finger on chin, humming.

“… I do like Steve. I don’t want to date him though.” It was still fairly unclear, but perhaps it didn’t matter. Because it made Seamus laugh, finally erasing whatever tension he  had been under.

“Fair enough.” It was a very nice smile.

They kept advancing, the line diminishing as humans proceeded to buy their paper passes and entertaining food. It was truly mesmerizing the amount of people present into this building just to witness a fictional story on screen, simply on a bigger projection than on the talking boxes located in their residences. It was like asking for a bigger blaster while the previous one had always sufficed perfectly – unless the one making the request was Varvatos, with the sole intent of making his murdering more glorious.

Krel took a look at his back, noticing lots of humans adding to the line quite eagerly. He had seen this kind of excitement only at his Coronation Day.

“There weren’t so many people the last time I’ve been here.”

“Wait, what? You’ve been at the theatre before?” A pretty surprised tone, not to blame considering Krel’s little grasp on Arcadians’ ways of entertainment. The prince simply nodded. “Oh…” That tone went down so suddenly it made  him gulp. The blonde pulled off a smile as quickly as possible, shaking his head. “Ah, no, I mean- Sorry, sorry, of course you’ve been here before. Was it… was it with someone I know?”  A frown. “You went to the theatre with company, right?” His blue eyes weren’t on him anymore. Like he  hadn’t mean t to ask, and was not looking forward for the answer.

The prince couldn’t grasp the reason for such reluctance.

“I did. ” A heavy sigh. “ With Aja and our grandpa geezer. We went the first day we moved here.” Those were some loud strangling noises, like the human’s lungs had suddenly caught on fire. “I don’t understand…”

Seamus breathed out, laughing quietly to himself . It took various sektons.  With time it had became clear recognizing the inner battles of the human minds. The outside silence was only a cover.

“I thought… I guess I’m just realizing that you did stuff before. It’s okay really, I’m sure you went to a lot of places without me dragging you around, in Cantaloupia as much as here in Arcadia. With other people. Other dates…” The blonde’s eyes fell on the ground, his lips tightened, his irises  trembling . Like an earthquake that he was doing his best to control.

… for reasons truly unbeknownst Krel.

“Other dates?”

“Yeah, like… I don’t know, how was your last date?”

“At the bakery? Very nice.” Illuminating as well. Apparently Krel was able to bear the taste of the awful cofefe, as long as it was put into the form of delicious layers of mascarpone cream and dipped savoiardi – the tiramisu, one of Earth’s greatest inventions.

Seamus gaped for a sekton then giggled, all flustered. 

“I meant before you and I started to hang out.”

“That never happened.” The blonde blinked at him, tilting his head on one side. How could it be a difficult concept considering his – even humanly limited – intelligence? “Johnson, I have never been on a date before you. Many new experiences, I’m living them right now. Why would you think I did this?” It was a fact that ‘dating’ wasn’t quite the same on Akiridion-5 ; even so never before any kind of equivalent had ever interested him, not even during the various royal court galas back at the palace. There never seemed to be any kind of appeal. Turned out, there was quite a lot to discover outside his lab.

The blonde widened his arms, like it was somehow obvious.

“Who wouldn’t want to date you?” Oh. _Oh_. Sneaky math blonde, making him grin so hard it was embarrassing. “I-I mean… huh, you know what, whatever.” Seamus smiled widely, putting a hand around his shoulders and bringing him closer. “I guess it means I have the exclusive, that’s luck.” Again pulling himself together all of the sudden, like the blonde could appear this caring only for him. It made the prince feel just a little lighter on his feet. It was nice letting go every once in a while. The closeness of the place became so unimportant and the chatters of the other humans uninfluential. They went a little further in the line without saying a word. Krel found very easy to forget what they were doing and where they were going. It  just felt  good being here, right now.

The door nearby opened, and a crowd of people exited the movie room with bored expressions as much as incredibly excited ones – so some humans were clearly not in possession of eyes to witness romantic garbage. Among them a teen ager, overly agitated, with a very annoyed friend right next.

“Dude stop saying that or I swear-”

“But it’s true! You know it’s true!”

“You can’t counter every single conversation with ‘but SP was better’!” As the couple walked past them Seamus tensed. “Today’s weather, this movie, and this morning we were talking about nachos! Nachos!! What kind of compare is that??”

The blonde’s eyes were pointing right in that way, precisely and directly, and when the prince followed with his gaze he noticed that random guy’s  white shirt. Right there, with very distinguishable yellow letters and right over the drawing of a shuttle, it was written _space camp_.

The targeted ‘cadet’ shook his head, gesturing like crazy.

“They have a zero-gravity chair, man! It can literally simulate how you would walk on the moon! There is no kind of cheese topping that will ever be able to top that.”

“Really? Not even with jalapeños?”

“Nope.”

“What about pickled jalapeños?”

“… well my friend, I think we have a big discussion  coming our way .” The two walked outside, their voices faded and the shirt got devoured by the sunlight.

Right away Krel could feel Seamus’ hand, still on his shoulder, clenching a little. It felt like an already seen scene, the prince could almost pinpoint every single sekton slowing down, highlighting Seamus’s angry expression coming to life. But unlike back at the fair, or at Sam’s, or in any other occasion, the blonde stopped just a moment before the flame. Letting go of him and looking distressed, like he got caught up doing something forbidden.

“… can you keep the line? For a couple of minutes, I swear. I just wanna have some air.” He closed his eyes and started rubbing the root of his nose.

It was the most controlled Krel had seen him until now. It gave him a weird wave of pride, along with a need pushing into his chest. Silence and loneliness were such close companions of his, the best ingredients for an always busy mind. Right there, the prince wished for nothing more than to leave them behind in favor of the noise. 

“Could I come? I would like to have some outside oxygen as well.”

“Oh, uhm, sure.” The blonde shrugged. “I’m just staying for a little. I won’t let you miss the movie.” The silence knew neither of them cared much.

They stepped just outside the building and leaned against the wall, under a warm but gentle morning star. A few people were walking around, guided by the lazy atmosphere of this delson that seemed to make everything just a little slower, easier to understand.

Krel inhaled deeply, kicking a nearby pebble.

“It was quite crowded inside, it is nice breathing a little.” The blonde nodded absently, arms behind his back. It wasn’t the usual slow extinguishment Krel was used to, it was more like a tense wait for the arson to die before it was even born. “Johnson?” A low hum. “… why didn’t you go to space camp?” It seemed like such a reserved place to step in. More complex than Area 49B, far more dangerous as well; a world that needed the prince’s entire attention and effort as barely enough requirements.

Seamus exhaled harshly towards the ground, as he could spit out those harsh emotions.

“For a very good reason, actually. That’s why I’m mad.”  He didn’t fail to notice the other’s confusion as he quickly continued. “Math Duel won, no other major annoying fact along the way. Dad seemed almost happy to see me in good spirits for once. It was going just how it was supposed to.” He crossed his arms, glaring at nothing. “Then at Battle of the bands, that troll thing happened. And suddenly he decided it wasn’t a good idea letting me go somewhere without his supervision. Especially since there were some nasty sightings in New Jersey as well, and that’s where I was supposed to go.” Oh, trolls were spreading. Was Toby aware? – ha, maybe.

Krel looked away, scratching his elbow.

“That is quite reasonable actually.” It seemed wrong parting for his father, but the blonde quickly nodded, frantically and furiously.

“Right? How’s that fair??” Seamus grunted. “I bit my tongue for years in front of him, only because I knew I could beat every challenge. He wants me to be stupidly good at math? I am!” He laughed, still angrily tense. “Now he’s being reasonable, and I can’t say anything about it because he’s actually right for once! I hate it! Space camp used to be that one thing I looked forward every single time, my reward for keeping up with so much during the year! And now I have nothing! Nothing!!” He clenched his fists , shaking . Then he released,  he  closed his eyes in a deep breath and slowly smiled. “… thanks. I kinda needed that.”

The prince mirrored him, barely registering his own thoughts  on how the blonde’s red cheeks of fury and emotion somehow complemented his facial features – Kleb, that came out so _buttery_!

“It sounds like you had quite a lot in your mind.”

“You can say that again… don’t actually say it.” Krel closed his mouth while Seamus snickered.  His blue eyes gradually saddened. “ It’s not like I don’t care if he cares, you know? Man if I want him to treat me like a son every once in a while. It just feels like dad sees me as nothing but his future apprentice.” That was… familiar. “He cares enough about my interests to let me do what I want, at least. But the moment he thinks it might get in the way of my ‘destiny’ or something, there he is trying to put my priorities in line!” He bit his lip. “I just- It’s so frustrating, you have no idea!” There it was, that fury, perfectly contained into his flaming irises. That truly was the peak of his self-control.

But right now all  Krel could think of , all his eyes could see, was his Papa. Taking his new invention away from his hands with the sole purpose of reminding him of his duty. Like he didn’t obey enough until then. Like he couldn’t take a single moment for himself.

It surprised him that it had been a while since he thought about him.

“I… I think I do, actually. I have an idea about how it might be.” It got the blonde’s attention. It was both pestering and comforting. “Papa… _is_ quite supporting about my engineer activities. He even praised me a couple of times. But I’m convinced me inventing translates into his mind as time wasted uselessly. If it was not about my future, it was not relevant.” Having his parents so close and so far away,  his best and worst memories kept playing in front of him with no coherency whatsoever. His mind could be so cruel sometimes.

Seamus gasped, pointing at him.

“Yes, yes! That’s exactly what I meant! It’s like you can’t  even have  a hobby without him trying to put his nose into it!” A moment of silence. “As a way of saying that he’s pretty invading.” The blonde was truly learning how to deal with him, there wasn’t a need to voice the prince’s confusion anymore. That was definitely comforting – more than knowing how long humans’ noses could be.

Krel scooted a little closer to the blonde. It was a first, talking about this kind of matter outside his family. Kleb, he was confident even Aja wasn’t aware of his feelings about it. It was both disorienting and liberating, in a way he couldn’t quite comprehend.

And didn’t feel the need to.

“I  do  love Papa . H e and Mama have always given me and Aja their everything.  And  I don’t think he has ever belittled my inventions on purpose , I think in his mind he is being truth to what is right for our home.” All those times having to listen to his scolding were getting noisy in his head. Always like there was nothing he could  had  aspire d for but ruling. “I just wish he would listen to me. I wish he would realize that calling mechanics a ‘fine hobby’ hurts, that considering my inventions ‘toys’ is denigrating. That I do not disappear under the role of future king, and there is more to me than just… me.” After that single word left his lips, his entire being felt reinvigorated. His emotions, wishes and desires that were bottling inside of him, seeing them so clearly was like a reveal. His core felt impossibly light, like it hadn’t been in a long while.

… then the gaping sounds from Seamus came to his ear.

“Wait wait wait, back up a minute.” In a blink the blonde was facing him, his eyes impossibly wide and his hands held together. “… king?” Their surroundings suddenly became irrelevant.

What a meaningful word for his life. Krel was sure he had heard that term an unnatural amount of times, rivaled only by how many times Aja had heard the word ‘queen’. It had always given him a sense of superiority, of powerfulness. Even of solitude sometimes. On Earth, it had become a source of fear, of insecurity and doubts, but in the best nights of shining hope and comfort. How many times did he point out his status to socially inferior beings? How many times  did  he remind himself and others what his role was meant to be on such a great planet that was Akiridion-5?

Right now, one time was enough. Enough for an extremely long interior scream to  start echoing into his head – his sympathy to all the humans he saw during Mrs. Janeth’s tests, now Krel knew why they were unresponsive most of the time.

“… uhm, what?”

“You said king. You said your role as future _king_.”

“N-no, no no no, you must’ve heard wrong. I was saying my… uh…” Krel swallowed, twice, looking at the walls of the building for some kind of inspiration – curse theatre posters, disguising themselves with colors and pretty faces while giving absolutely no hint about their real content! “My… thing. My role as future _thing_. It is a thing, a very important one, you can’t even imagine how important this thing is ! ” His tone died as soon as he realized Seamus had stopped blinking for more than five sektons now . H is jaw  was  most likely dislocated.

And there was no turning back.

“You’re a king?!?” How lucky they were not into the crowded theatre anymore. It took barely a gesture for the blonde to understand and lower his tone. “Are you serious?”

Krel bit his lip, taking a deep breath.

“King-in-waiting, actually.” It was quite hard keeping his composure with the blonde staring  like he just turned into a larvox . The prince couldn’t help but lower his gaze. “I didn’t want to upset you, it was not supposed to come out! I was simply caught up with the intensity of the moment.” And with the fact that he had rarely talked this freely about Papa before. “I didn’t mean for you to know.”

Somehow, the air got chiller.

“… it wouldn’t be the first time.” Of that liberating feeling nothing was left, every single ounce evaporated when Seamus’ eyes were emptied of disbelief and filled with bitterness.

Krel  faced him, shocked.

“Why  do you say that?” The blonde bit his lip. Hard. “Johnson…”

“I’m just saying you could give me a bit more credit, you know? I wouldn’t just tell your stuff to the first random person I see wandering around!” Seamus crossed his arms, glaring angrily at the floor. That was no outburst, it seemed like most of the problem was into his thoughts. The prince couldn’t even start to comprehend the complexity of a human’s mind this emotionally driven, not without his mind reader – thanks again Aja.

But with this guy it was a little different. It was worth at least trying.

Krel leaned towards him, trying to cross his eyes. But as stubborn as a child the guy turned his head away, making  him scowl .

“It has nothing to do with your ability of keeping secrets.”

“It sure seems like it!”

“Not at all. It is simply an honor that is solely celebrated in…”  He took a deep breath. It was becoming a heavy word to say. “Cantaloupia. Here in Arcadia, me and Aja are just teen agers trying to discover how this new world works. There was no point into you knowing, because it has little importance. Also I believe too many people being aware of it might draw too much attention, which is not desirable for royals out of their country.” Krel could very neatly hear the reasonable explanation coming out of his lips. But in his  mind , he could only listen to _excuses_.

The blonde huffed, still with that big pout in the air.

“If you say so.” He just did, there was definitely something on Seamus’ mind for him to say such obviousness. “It still doesn’t sound right. I mean, isn’t it cool having people praising you and treating you like royalty? Like a king?”

“I don’t even know if I _want_ to be a king.”

Krel’s  entire body shivered, like a cold sweat over his human skin  that he didn’t realize was there . A realization so far away it didn’t seem real, like a whistle playing into his chest. In this moment, caressed by  the sun of a galaxy far away from home, while letting his mind be filled and emptied by a mere inhabitant of a mud ball; right there,  the King-in-waiting of Akiridion-5  exhaled peacefully. He wasn’t sure he would had felt as relieved as now under the galactic sky of his home planet.

Finally Seamus broke his bitter state in favor of the surprise.

“It’s that bad?”

“Oh… no. Of course not. It is the highest honor serving the people of my home and ensuring their happiness and safety.” His mind was hearing _excuses_ again. “I know I never tried to fight my duty, not even once. Aja otherwise, she would always try to escape from the palace. It drove our parents crazy, knowing she was going to find herself into some kind of dangerous adventure.” A smile came on its own. At last, some fond memories to recall.

The blonde grinned as well, relaxing a little.

“Sounds like something she would do. Definitely not something you would.” It was such a simple truth, but it came so naturally to him. Like he was getting used to him. “I’m guessing you were more of an indoor kid.”

“Indeed. I just never felt the need to run away, there was nothing outside my lab that I was particularly interested to.” Krel sighed. “But I kinda envy Aja. At least she decided already she does not desire to become a queen. While I don’t even know if I’m ready, or if I want to be ready.” That weight dropped from his core so loudly, he felt his entire being relaxing. “… this is nice. I never exposed this matter before. To anyone.”

Seamus blinked, shocked. Even grateful.

“Really? Not even your parents?”

“Please, they do not need another one of their kid rioting.” The curve on the prince’s face fell right away. “Besides, even if I wanted to tell them… right now, they can’t listen.” He closed his eyes, thinking about his stupid attempts while he was alone in the Mothership, perfectly aware there was no way his words could reach them but reluctant to give up. Only to find himself blabbering to the regeneration chamber, with two fiery souls waiting to be released from their capsules.

The blonde winced, his eyes softening to the point they looked almost tearful.

“I’m sorry Tarron. I didn’t know it was this bad.” Who knew what the guy understood with his incomplete information. It mattered so little right now, because the prince felt cold inside and  this guy was so close and so caring.

Krel looked at him with a weak smile.

“It is alright. I know they are fighting as much as we are. At least we have plenty to tell them when they’ll come back to their senses. F or once, they will be the ones listening to our stories . ” He held on to this idea, to this hope for a more peaceful future. “ About our days at the school, the adventures we had.  About t he people we met, all of these new experiences . A nd about… my first dates.” He bit his lip, the mood shifting around him. It wasn’t quite gloomy, nor comforting or sunny. It was almost bothersome, yet even more mesmerizing than before.

Seamus looked in awe, even relieved in some way. That soft smile was such a gentle nudge, it did not come  with  surprise when he placed a lock of his brown hair behind his ear. Such moments would usually come as a shocking heat. This time, it was evaporating. Pervasive.

“I really like  it  when you do this, you know?” 

Krel found himself leaning towards that simple brush, even when it left as fast as it came.

“When I do what?”

“When you tell me what you really think.”

“How could I tell something that I am not thinking? That is physically impossible.”

“You know what I mean, your majes- Oh!!” Seamus suddenly grabbed his shoulders. What a wonder, feeling his arms moving as a surprised laugh shook him over. “That’s why you react weird when I call you like that! For all this time I was correctly referring to a royal!  Man , I should’ve known, with you acting so stuck-up all the time…”

“Hey! I am not stuck-up all the time! I simply remind others of my superiority on the intellectual  field , as  much as other aspects of my life!” How could he  be defined attached to a ceiling? … that was what stuck-up meant of course? Of course. “You sure talk shamelessly for someone in presence of a future king.”

“You mean bravely.”

“I said shamelessly.”

“Yep, definitely bravely.” What a crystalline laugh from the blonde, right in front of the prince’s gigantic pout. “Now I can also see why you’re convinced whatever you think is right.”

Krel huffed, smiling  with his chin raised .

“That is because I have a superior mind, of course I am right. It has little to do with my status.” He got free from his grasp – cold – and turned towards the entrance. “Now, I believe it is time to get inside? The aeration was plenty for the both of us.” He wasn’t exactly eager to assist to the movie representation of the fligshaag, but last time he had been at the theatre, it was dark. Nightly dark. Just like at the fair. A part of him couldn’t wait. “… Johnson? Are you going to follow?” Those blue eyes were annoyingly stuck on him in such a pitiful stare, and that was something the prince couldn’t bare.

Seamus nodded quickly, mimicking his steps only to stop right by his side. He scratched the back of his head, looking at him carefully.

“Hey , uhm … do you want me to stop calling you your majesty?”

Krel gaped at him. It was the last thing he would had expected.

“Why would I want something like that?”

“I was just thinking, uhm.” The blonde cleared his voice. “I didn’t know all this stuff. I didn’t know that it involved your family and the fact that your father is a king, which is pretty cool, but maybe the reminder is painful.”  He smiled sheepishly at him. Like his sole presence was affecting him. “I’m always having a great time with you, even when I talk about my dad. It’s like I can be myself and stop worrying for a while. I want you to feel the same, to feel… comfortable, with me. So calling you your majesty maybe brings you bad memories?” That tone was shy, too little for a person this passionate. Those words too felt for someone this hard to crack.

Too vivid. And it made Krel feel so special it was to wonder how this guy could think it brought bad feelings. An injustice.

“I… I do feel the same way.” Those words came out like a caress. “It seems like these days all I’m doing is fighting against one gigantic problem impossible to crack, while I find solutions for a thousands more. But with you, I don’t have to be concerned about it. I just know I’ll be having a good delson.” A smile splitting his face came unattended, but not unwelcomed. The prince could feel the blonde’s eyes focused on no one but him. “Also…”

Seamus swallowed hard, getting an inch closer.

“Also?”

“… I did find it an extremely annoying nickname at first.” The prince felt a laugh bubbling up into his chest, pure disbelief and adrenaline. “But it is not connected to bad memories, in any way, and it ’ s not painful. With time I grew to find it… endearing.” Aside from his family, everyone on Akiridion-5 had always referred to him with such honorifics. With this guy, it was different. The playful tone he used. The quick smirk on his face.

The way Seamus grabbed both of his hands into his. Looking at him right into his eyes, overwhelmed, captured.

“I really, really like it when you talk like this.”

Krel giggled breathlessly, the warmth he had grown to adore erupting from his chest.

“I cannot say anything that is not what I think, Johnson. I believe this much is obvious.”

“You say that, but…” The blonde hesitated, still lost into his eyes, still with that astonished expression like he just manifested right before him. “But there’s this wall you keep… it feels like you always…” He bit his lip, he looked down at their hand s and sighed, smiling. His warm breath brushed their fingers. “You know what, whatever. All I know is that whenever you speak your mind, you look happier. So please keep doing that, okay?” It was so simple, so genuine. Comforting even, that he would care about it.

It pained Krel. Everything that his mind contained was a chaotic mix of what he wanted to say, what he could say and what he had to say. Three big groups that couldn’t quite maintain their defined borders. And his silence over the truth could generate another problem, one that could prove to be even more difficult than the science peak he was so desperately trying to reach.

But for the sake of himself, his family and these planets, he could only focus on today.

“I will do my best.” Somehow it was clear Seamus wasn’t completely satisfied. Yet he smiled, clenching his hold gently before finally leading the prince inside. Maybe it was enough. For another delson at least, it was enough.

Fortunately the line had reduced visibly, there were only a couple of people in front of them. It was a matter of mekrons, with a bit of luck and the great Gaylen’s blessing they were going to make it. It seemed quite unbelievable to finally get in front of the entertainment access, like nothing had ever mattered before. Like being patient was worth it. What an incredible feeling, finally getting the reward of such a long time spent in the dark. It was almost like magic – _like a wizard, or more than one, huh_?

The guy behind the counter put a consistent quantity of seeds inside a big cuboid machine with walls made of glass: as a metal container heated up, the seeds erupted transformed into crunchy white bits. The origins of the popped corns in all of its glory. He did not witness such a mind-blowing transformation the first time he had been there.

Krel couldn’t help but stare in awe, the blonde laughing behind him. Beauty was very well hidden on Earth. The creator  in red uniform of such a wonder sighed loudly in front of him, gesturing towards the snacks.

“Sir, could you stop keeping the line and please order something?”

“Order? How are you aware of my status?”

Seamus shook his head, circling his shoulders – warm.

“Take it easy, your majesty, it’s not what you think.” The prince found himself relieved that he was indeed going to keep calling him that. For whatever reason. “We’ll take two sodas and a large bowl of popcorn. Do you want to try a hot dog?” Oh sweet glorified Gaylen what did this human just ask him. “… your face tells me it’s a no. Well then.” He gave Krel the drinks, snickering quietly. This math blonde was truly a mystery sometimes.

“I have a pet. I do not think it would be appropriate.”

“Yeah, I’m gonna have to explain you this one… what the-” Seamus frowned, holding the cylinder of popped corn against his chest and picking up his vibrating phone. “I swear, if dad found a brand-new reason to get me back home I’m gonna explode!” Emotionally, right? Hard to tell when the blonde’s father was involved. Apparently there was never going to be an answer, as the dialer seemed to be unknown. “Hello? Yes, I’m Seamus Johnson, who is this?… oh, oh yeah, of course sir!”

Krel frowned, taking a quick sip from his soda.

“Who is it?”

“Can you give me a second? It’s an important call.”  The blonde looked really jumpy, so the prince nodded, taking a little clumsily the bowl of popped corn between his arms full of sodas. Seamus walked a little closer to the exit, looking extremely caught up while nodding excitedly.

There was no way  Krel could find his way inside the big screen room on his own – why were humans hiding in the dark when Earth was blessed by such a luminous morning star? – so he waited, looking at the blonde muttering something with light in his eyes and one big wide smile.  He couldn’t help but feeling a little left out, scolding himself immediately. This planet was having a weird effect on him, he was getting more sensible. Vulnerable even. He didn’t like it.

Not when lately in his life, getting hurt was becoming the usual.

His stream of thoughts ended when Seamus’ smile fell. The blonde looked at his direction, biting his lip. He spoke a few more words with resignation, nodding without intention, then he put away the phone as he reached the prince again.

Krel frowned. This guy was known for his moodiness, but this seemed excessive.

“What happened?”

“Mm? Nothing! Nothing, eh.” Seamus forced a smile, getting back the popcorn and pushing a big handful into his mouth. “Let’s just get in.” There was no way he thought he was being subtle about it, he was smarter than that – and told by Krel, it was extremely relevant.

“Who was at the phone?”

“No one…” With one look it was clear that explaining the impossibility of answering to ‘no one’ was going to take longer than hearing the truth. The blonde let out a fake laugh. “Well, it’s one of the few things me and dad ever agreed on, having a part-time job for the summer. I already sell newspapers but I kinda wanna save money for a telescope I saw online. Anyway, I left my number at the planetarium just in case and I got called for a job.”

What a different world was his. Thinking about it the prince never had to think about what to do in the future, considering his situation. On this guy’s point of view, the perspective of an ideal occupation seemed quite exciting. Krel smiled at him.

“Congratulations then, I am happy to hear it.”

“Huh, it’s just for a part-time guard though. I’d have to make sure nothing goes missing or… I don’t know, that sneaky Pluto doesn’t try to get back into the Solar System while I’m not watching.” The silliness of the idea actually made the prince snicker. “Apparently the last guard got fired after a break-in and a smashed moon rock, without talking about the anti-vortex siphon that got stolen. Until they hire a new full time, they have to cover with others.” Oh, familiar situation, very familiar. And in all honesty, expected – the Staja broke something during their heist, _tinted_ him surprise as the humans would say.

“I see… how do you know the name of that piece?”

"The manager of the planetarium explained to me it was taken from the model of a rocket. I’ve been to space camp enough times to know the mechanical components of  it.” Oh. That was attractive. “So now I’m supposed to meet someone for an interview.”

That seemed like a reason for happiness, not gloominess. Krel tilted his head.

“Then what is the problem?”

“… the interview is in an hour. Apparently it’s a last minute decision and they need to  make sure there are enough staff members.” Seamus quickly waved at his surprised eyes. “Ah, don’t worry about it, like I would go! I mean, they’re in a hurry sure, but pretending I get there right away? That’s a bit too much.” He was lying. Or being sincere but not completely, judging by the way he kept giving quick glances at the exit. “Come on, I think the publicity is still rolling.” Like he was mentally seeing the road connecting the theatre to the planetarium.

Why was he being so evading? If  the prince had  a chance to practice engineering in any way, he would had jumped on it faster than an Opherus Viper. They were getting closer, of course they were, then why was he not confiding the real reason for giving up on such an occasion for-

Krel stood behind, frozen on his feet.

“Is it for me?” The blonde turned to him, frowning. “… you know, I was thinking, this big moving picture story does not seem to encounter our tastes. We are most certainly not looking forward to watch it, and I am feeling quite upset after theorizing the origins of the ‘hot dog’.” The prince looked down at the drinks. “Perhaps we could, uhm, pause the current date and continue it another delson ? A fter your job interview?” Again, his mind read _excuses_ in every single word that  had c o me out of his mouth. But it didn’t make him feel bad.

Especially  after admiring  Seamus’ lovely astonished expression, with that piece of popped corn falling from his cheek. He looked at the entrance of the movie room, then at the exit of the building,  and finally at him.

“What- Tarron, I won’t ditch you for a stupid guard job at the planetarium! I’m trying not to be a total jerk to you, remember that part?”

“I do. I have quite the auditory memory at my disposal, alongside many other abilities.” The blonde rolled his eyes, grinning. “That being said, I disagree regarding the dumbness of the occupation. It is still a role situated into an environment that you are very close to, right? You seem extremely at ease while talking about space, I believe this would be a great occasion to find yourself in a gratifying situation.” There were few things Krel could understand better than passions, and looking at the blonde’s bright expression, it seemed like the right decision.

Seamus swallowed, his eyes were so lucid.

“I-I guess… are you sure? I mean, we already paid for tickets and food.”

“I can ask Aja if she would like to go instead, you are aware of her speed. And I am sure Steve will be more than happy to accompany her.” The prince placed the drinks on a nearby bench, then took the bowl from the  blonde’s hands as well. “Now, I believe it was said you have barely one horvath, right? You better go prepare yourself.” Although he was not sure what was the dress code required for a job interview – binary was okay, right?

Seamus kept staring in awe, making Krel feel just a bit self-conscious. It struck him there that he had been using his usual Akiridion terms more freely than usual. Did he notice? Did he ignore it? Did he think it was weird? Or Cantaloupian? Or-

Seklos. This guy was warm. So warm the prince didn’t know what to do with it. As soon as those strong arms  embraced him, Krel’s mind reset once again. As it seemed to always do whenever this math blonde was involved. It was melting. A beautiful absolute heat that almost gave him misty eyes, as he leaned his cheek on his shoulder and closed his eyes. Savoring this moment like it was the last that could had been. It became clumsy only when Krel realized he had his arms around the blonde’s neck, with the bowl still in his hand and half of the popped corn s on the ground.

It was then that the prince noticed  a quiet and joyful laugh on his shoulder, a sound that sent shivers all over his back. As much as the heartbeats of his broad chest, so quick, so loud. A rhythm that was its own music.

“Thank you! Thank you so much!” Seamus slowly backed down, his hands on his hips. And he definitely had the same hard time acknowledging the situation, as his smile disappeared and his blue eyes crossed Krel’s, trapped. His ears turned red, his expression changed into something unusual. Unexplainable.  Suggestive. It broke as soon as  he erupted in a nervous laughter, slowly letting him go. “I-I should probably go.”

Krel cleared his voice, taking a step back as well. It was one thing hugging his sister, his family. It wasn’t like him showing himself so open with… whatever they were.

“Uhm, good luck.”

“Yeah, I’ll tell you how it goes . T hanks again… hey, I’ll make it up to you, okay? I know I  do that a lot , but  this time it  will be special ! As soon as we get some free time, promise.” He set his eyes on him, smiling goofily, taking way longer than normal to reach the exit. Just to keep his eyes on the prince a little longer. “… bye.” Then he turned.

Finally leaving. Finally going. Going away.

How lonely, all of the sudden. How silent and wide, like the building got bigger. Krel swallowed, suddenly feeling way too exposed. All those casual stares from the few people left around seemed excessive. Invading even. He kept the bowl while leaving the drinks on the bench – the  popped creator at the counter seemed very annoyed – and then left the place, taking a deep breath outside. Another delson spent far away from the scientific innovation that could save them. Once again it did not feel like wasted time. But right now, his core was acting weird. It hurt in a numbing way, almost pleasant. Almost soothing.

Krel leaned against the wall right next to the entrance, just like before, closing his eyes. His body  still felt warm from the hug. It was getting unreasonable, unexplainable, his rational being should had hate d something like this.

“What is happening to me?” He truly didn’t feel like finding an answer, just something to do. Mother was giving him all these opportunities to  get away from his work and relax, it would had been ungrateful com ing back. A nd he was not looking forward to deal with the little improvement he had reached lately, or to stay on his own… oh. He took out his phone, getting to the right number. Only a few rings before it picked up. “Hello Toby.”

“-What’s up Krel? I thought you were busy today.-” How could the reminder of something he already knew be painful?  The prince shook his head.

“Uhm, Johnson encountered some complications and was forced to leave early.”

“-Ouch, are you okay? Getting flaked out is never nice.-”

“… flaked? Like corn flakes?” Krel frowned, starting to walk over the nicely empty and quiet sidewalk. “Why are humans so obsessed with the different use of corn?”

“-Because that’s how this planet is able to achieve perfection, dude. How do you think we got corn flour tortillas for our majestic burritos?-” After meeting this guy Krel had figured Stuart and his taco truck had never lacked of activity in Arcadia. “-Well, if you’re not going back to your little hi-tech cave, how about we roll another scene of Kleb or Alive? We have the rescue scene with Eli to put together, at least if Luug stops growling at me and let us film him!-”

The prince smiled sympathetically.

“We left him hanging on a rope, it is fair he got a little offended.”

“-Oh come on, he can fart flames, he could have gotten off any time! I’m telling you, that space dog is a diva, and the only reason I rehired him is because the production team ran out of tape during the man-hungry Gorbon scene!-”

“Didn’t _you_ run out of tape?”

“-… as I said, it ran out. Nothing you can prove.-” Toby snickered. Hearing a friendly voice was surprisingly powerful. “-So you’re up to it?-”

“Yes, I-” Krel’s eyes fell on the popped corn, still close to his chest. He wondered if Seamus would had really stayed if he hadn’t insisted. He asked himself if that would had made him feel even heavier than now. “I would greatly enjoy spending some time with my friends.” All he wanted to focus on was this. Captain DJ Kleb getting there to party. Having fun with Toby and Eli. Anything to keep his mind busy.

Toby laughed contently at his ear.

“-Great! Let’s meet at the park later for rehearsal then, for the actual shot I’d say we should take a day with less people and at late hours, so you can keep that cool special effects-y body of yours.-” It was a good plan. “-… hey, you didn’t answer before. Are you okay?-”

Krel nodded, realizing then that this primitive technology was not equipped with a hologram to be seen. What a soolian. He really felt like a soolian. He felt confused and sad and relaxed and agitated. Why was he getting this disturbed? There was nothing wrong, absolutely nothing out of the ordinary or worrisome. It was just another delson. Another day in the perfectly normal and ordinary town of Arcadia.

“I am… I am, yes, of course I am.” He let his feet guide him towards the park, distractively munching a handful of popped corn. “Just a little _crushed_, I believe.”

BONUS

“Please make yourself at home, dearie!”

“Thank you Mrs. Domzalski.” Seamus walked inside. The house smelled of freshly baked cookies and homemade soap, it didn’t take long for his shoulders to slowly descend. “Sorry again for the late, with my new job I’ll have a pretty busy schedule. I have to take advantage of all the free time I get.” Nothing exciting as he anticipated, but that was a start. That was one small step for a regular boy, one giant leap for a future astronaut.

… thank goodness Krel didn’t seem to mind his nerdy side.

Nancy waved with her hand. 

“Nonsense, Seamus! I’m always happy to open up young minds to the beauty of rumba! There is no right hour  to learn how to dance!” She moved a few steps, spinning around with quite the class considering her age. She felt the ground around her, finding and picking up one side of the table. “Could you help me get this out of the way? We need to have some space, as you’ll find out there is never enough room for your passion to come out.”

“Oh, of course!” Seamus hurried up, getting the area empty after pushing back the  armchair and rolling up the carpet. It looked a little arranged, but for a first lesson it didn’t seem too bad. Everything was so homey and nicely raw around,  from the frames of the various pictures to every single ornament hanging on the wall.

Nancy smiled with satisfaction, facing a  painting instead of him.

“Now, I’m sorry, but I can’t be your partner for the lesson. I broke my glasses at the last practice and I haven’t been able to buy new ones. You don’t need to see to move your body is dance lesson number one, but don’t step on your partner’s feet is definitely number two!” That seemed fair. “But don’t worry, I have an even better option. He can cut a rug like a jitterbug!” She giggled and leaned towards the stairs – well, towards the kitchen, but close enough. “Tobypie! It’s time for the lesson!” Tobypi- Oh. Oh no. 

“I’m coming, Nana! But I have genius to edit into the new Oscar-winning movie, so I can’t stay all night for your- Wow.” While crossing Toby’s extremely shocked eyes, Seamus started to regret his entire existence. “… I did not see this one coming.”

The blonde  slapped his palm over his face, whining .

“You and me both.” He might had just made the most awkward decision of his life.

Completely unaware of how her grandson was gaping helplessly at the guest Nancy got a boom box from a nearby closet – oh Krel liked those old things he had come to school with one once and no wait focus – and placed it on the ground. She brought her hands together with a clap, facing the wall, then realizing her mistake and turning to face the guys. She wiggled in a slow move, placing her hands on her hips.

“Now, let’s get down to business!” She pushed the button and with a loud ‘mambo’ the song started, catchy and vibrating. “Ready? Come on, move your feet! Step left _and_ step right, cross your feet, cross your legs!”

She started to move and wow, the  woman was good. For once Seamus felt actually grateful Steve had wasted his sleeping hours ranting to him about his latest date with Aja – “And after that dance lesson I’m still not sure what she meant with grabbing a bite…”. He stared intensely at his feet, trying to mimic the old lady’s movements. He might had completely underestimated the situation, considering he could not follow her for the sake of him. After so many online videos, how come he couldn’t even move without looking like Gunrobot??

“Dude, dude, please don’t! This is really painful to watch.” Toby elbowed him a little. “Try to relax, you’re way too rigid! I get it’s your first lesson, but just because Nana can’t see you doesn’t mean you can be blasphemous.” The grandson on the other hand was moving soft and precise steps, clearly knowing what he was doing.

Seamus huffed. Never thought one day this guy would had outshined him in sports.

“I’d relax if you weren’t staring at me, Domzalski.”

“Doubtful. But you’re not doing worse than Jimbo, if it makes you feel any better.” The blonde never had the joy of admiring Lake’s dancing moves, so not really. “Are you a bundle of nerves because we used to not exactly get along? Because I manage to tolerate Steve now . After that, you’re a piece of cake!” It wasn’t clear if that was a farfetched insult or some kind of compliment. Or both. Or neither. Being able to stand Steve deserved his admiration regardless.

Seamus shook his head, backing away too much and bumping against the  armchair . So far, not good.

“ That’s not it … sorry about  that , by the way.” A smile shining with braces almost blinded him. “I thought it was  going to be just me and your grandma. This isn’t something I wanna show to others.” He stepped a little stronger on the ground, feeling the tune. Oh. Maybe he was getting somewhere. This was actually kinda nice, this song was capturing him. After getting to know more about Krel, it was like he was more sensible to music. More attracted to.

Toby grinned, looking at his feet.

“Oh, better, better, keep going. Then why did you decide to take lessons?”

“I, uh-”

“Good, you’re doing so good! It’s time to get really into it!” Nancy giggled, raising a little the volume of the music. “Grab your partner’s hand, and put your other hand on their hips.” 

Seamus felt a headache coming up.

“Great, here it comes…” He took the deepest breath, mentally preparing  himself to dance with one of the classmates he used to bully that seemed to be such a close friend of the guy he was currently dating – man life was weird. “I’m guessing you lead?” It was only fair considering Toby was the expert. Not like Seamus could take control right now, his hands were sweaty and his stomach was twitching nervously. This was not the scientific area he was used to, it wasn’t even gym at school. This was a new, very personally chosen way of humiliation he had bestowed upon himself.

And there was no turning back.

Toby smirked, offering a hand to him. No hard feelings as much as he wanted, this guy was enjoying his reluctance.

“Don’t worry, you’re in good hands, I once lead an entire population of Quagawumps at the rhythm of mouth pops and slaps on the butt! Trolls have great sense of music!” That was… something. Still weird associating this guy with those creatures that had erupted from the ground.

Seamus sighed and took his hand. The idea of moving right now seemed impossible, he felt like a kid that couldn’t walk on his own. The music was getting repetitive, annoying even. But the blonde gritted his teeth and endured, letting himself go with the flow or something  – curse you you useless  online conceptual  dance tutorials.! Luckily Toby got him covered for real, guiding him  by the hand, nudging his feet every once in a while. Even so the blonde could not prevent the loud growl when the ‘teacher’ laughed and made him spin, almost causing him trip for the height difference  – Mr. Tobypie was one hundred percent enjoying this.

Nancy was dancing on her own, surprisingly gracefully on the top of her overused slippers, mimicking the presence of a companion.

“Very well! Don’t forget to keep your partner close and comfortable!”

The blonde gritted his teeth.

“That’s an impossible paradox.”

“You’re not doing bad though, Seamus.” Toby grinned at him, at least he seemed earnest. “It almost reminds me of my first dance at the Spring Fling . T hat hypnotic bewitching allure of that swaying mole…” He let out a dreamy sigh, spinning his partner once again. “How I wish you were Darci.”

Seamus breathed out as well, looking down.

“I wish you were Tarron.” The actual meaning of his words came to him only when Toby’s mouth opened with a loud pop. “N-no, no no, I mean…!”

“Oh my gosh, you’re learning how to dance because you wanna show off to Krel!!” His partner erupted in a joyful laugh, without losing his grasp over him. “How did I not notice? It was obvious! You’re so obvious!” Ah great, his cheeks were on fire. How Seamus wished some kind of nasty cat allergy could hit him right away so he could faint on the spot. “Whaaat, you can actually blush? Ha, bullies are capable of feelings! I should update Eli.” This was definitely karma getting its final revenge on him.

Seamus grunted, trying to pull himself together – and possibly not combust. 

“Can you, like, stop talking for one second?”

“Come on, it’s cute!”

“It’s not cute, it’s pathetic!”  He tightened his fists, letting go only for not turning Toby’s hand into goo. “I don’t even know what I’m doing! It’s just - Tarron - H e’s so smart, and yeah I’m smart too, but he’s like really smart! He’s curious and quirky and unique…” That stupid grin came and passed in an instant. Even if nothing could take away that incredible sparkle that had erupted, when he  had held the Cantaloupian into his arms. “I have to keep up with all of that, I don’t want him to… I don’t know, grow bored of me or something.” The mere thought of losing the attentions he  had from him was awful.  Painful . “… I know, it’s stupid.” And why the heck was he telling this to him with all of the people?

Toby smiled patiently at him.

“A little, yeah.” He let go of his hand, finally giving the blonde a moment to breath. “You shouldn’t worry that much though. You know Krel, he doesn’t hide when something repels him. If he kept up with you this long, he’s definitely into you.” He winked at him, popping his tongue.

Seamus felt his cheeks heating up once again, a very lame nervous laugh erupting from his lips.

“You really think?”

“Trust me, I lived through Jim’s blatant crush on Claire. I know the signs.” That seemed an overly positive view. But it did make him feel better.

“Uh, Nana Domzalski needs to take a break, I hope you guys don’t mind!” Nancy arched her back a little, humming contently. “I’ll bring some cookies and milk so we can all enjoy ourselves, be right back!” And so she mistakenly went to the entrance of the house, turned around – after almost bumping against the door – and left in the kitchen, humming the melody of the song that just played like a joyful young woman.

As soon as they were alone Toby focused on him, like  all of the sudden it was a matter of life or death . This guy had trolls in his life, he could have more than a few surprises up his sleeve.

“Now, I know you want to impress  him and that’s nice and all, but I think I heard from Nana that you planned with her just a couple of lessons?” Seamus nodded, not eager to know what caused this guy’s sudden look of compassion on him. “Yeah, that won’t do it.”

“Why not?”

“Have you ever seen Krel dancing?”

“No?… oh you’re kidding me.” Toby simply shrugged and the blonde could feel his feet and his pride getting heavy for wasted time. “Come on! Is there anything that guy can’t do? Math, engineering, inventing, music, and now dancing! Can’t he stop being cool for one second??” He almost felt like falling on his knees, holding himself together only for the sake of his dignity – and for not being an overly dramatic Steve.

Toby put a hand on his shoulder, still with that commiserative look on his face.

“Well, looking on the bright side, he wasn’t doing rumba… he was killing it, but on a completely different genre.” Wow, that wasn’t comforting at all. “I’m just saying, you won’t impress him with just a few lessons. We need to go big here, full course, total oh-Seamus-you’re-so-charming goal! And with me and Nana in combo, we’ll get right there!” The guy posed, like he was ready for some red carpet shots – directing  that short movie might had gone to his head.

Seamus arched an eyebrow. If a year ago someone had told him this guy was going to give him dating advices, he would had punched the joker out of the atmosphere. As for now…

“Are you sure you can help me?”

“Please, am I or am I not dating the Spring Fling queen?” Surpassing his continuous incredulity, the answer was yes. “So what do you say? Wanna make him swoon?” Dang it, that smug grin directed towards him was not reassuring at all. But the thought that Darci somehow liked this guy kinda was. The idea of having Krel so adorably impressed once again made it almost appealing.

Seamus took a deep breath and nodded to himself.

“Fine. Let’s dance.”

“Let’s dance? Really?” Toby shook his head, like he was watching something he was hopelessly used to. “I’m sure you can ask me in a more suave way.” Oh someone helped him, this guy really used that word. “Get a bit of emotion in it, come on! More class!”

The blonde arched an eyebrow at him.

“ Why? Only because Tarron’s royalty?”

“Whoa!!” A pretty impressive jump considering the guy used to fall pretty spectacularly from the rope during gym. “How on Earth do you know about that??” That tone, that high pitch. It felt like hearing both Steve and Eli at the phone.

Not a nice voice.

“He told me, of course.”

“Oh, yeah, sure… how much did he tell you, exactly?” Toby winced at the piercing look the blonde gave him. “I mean, you know he’s a prince, you know about what he’s been through back home.” This guy knew about that too?! One thing was marginal information, considering how much Toby seemed to gravitate around the Tarrons, but this? “You know he and his sister will rule over Akiridion- Ah, I mean Cantaloupia!!”

Wait, that was new. That was very new. Seamus felt a sting in his stomach.

“What’s Akiridion?”

“Uhm, nothing.”

“Domzalski…”

Toby hummed casually, fidgeting with his fingers.

“It’s, uhm, it’s a… city. In Cantaloupia. Sometimes I forget they rule over an entire, uh, island, instead of just one town.” That guy’s forehead was getting more and more lucid. “Hey, come on, let’s get back to practice! We have to get you all charming, right?” He was turning into a nervous wreck under his gaze, acting like  c oach Lawrence  had appeared behind him all of the sudden. Everything about his body was screaming to just drop the subject. And it wasn’t the first time  someone reacted like this .

Seamus didn’t like that. Why was everyone involved with Krel so wary about him knowing stuff? They were dating. They were even connecting, something he had rarely experienced before. Their families’ stories, their hopes and dreams, their uncomfortable fears. They were free to share, to get _closer_. It had to be the same for the Cantaloupian, right?

“Domzalski?”

“Uhm, y-yeah?”

“… you think this will do anything? I mean, would he even care I tried?” 

From the kitchen the distinct pouring of milk could be heard. All of the sudden Seamus realized the sun had been down for hours and he was in the house of an old lady to learn how to dance the dang rumba. And to add to the mix there was a whole lot he  apparently wasn’t aware of, too many annoying little pinches into his mind  to remind him that something wasn’t right.

Doubts, doubts, so many doubts. And for what?

Toby finally wiped his forehead, surprised – relieved? –, smiling widely at him.

“Dude, he would choose machines over people to keep him company every day, yet you somehow managed to get him away from his inventions to spend time with you. I’d say he would be into whatever you do.”  It was rational, direct, the right  way to get it. It made him breath again. There was no reason to get all worked up after all, now was it? Seamus was the one that was hanging out with him. Seamus got him to open up bit by bit at every chance. Seamus had the moon bracelet that so naturally Krel had gifted him with, a little thing he had kept into his pocket just to  be the only one to know something more about him. About _them_.

Whatever was lying underneath, it was going to come out eventually. Right now, the blonde wanted to focus on one and one thing only: impress that adorable genius out of his mind.

“Okay, I’m ready. Let’s… shake it?”

“What do you think I am, a maraca?” Toby shook his head, crossing his arms with the stern look of a  trainer in presence of his pupil. “Come on, focus on the picture! You’re trying to ask me to dance, pretend I’m Krel and go for it, Seam-Man!”

Sure,  a lmost as that didn’t make things even more complicated, to the point Seamus highly doubted he would be able to make even a single step in front of that  guy . Like that wasn’t enough the prince – no, King-in-waiting,  just to add more pressure – was also a good dancer.  How h e wished he was angrier than so inevitably impressed. Charmed. Everything about the Cantaloupian was so simply _him_. It made  Seamus want to give the best he could be, the better version of himself. Half as amazing as Krel would had been a victory already.

So the blonde bit down a grin, tried a little bow with one hand on his heart and the other offered in front of him. Looking up to meet two pretty impressed green eyes.

How he wished they were brown.

“May I have this dance, your majesty?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How dare you make me feel this proud of myself? WE REACHED FREAKING 120 KUDOS OMG THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! This is far beyond what I expected when I decided to post this fic, I really feel blessed. I love you all!!!
> 
> Let's be frank, the theatre date is a classic, I just had to go for it ^^" I also took the opportunity to have a little character study about Krel, especially regarding his relationship with king Fialkov. Aaaand I'm pretty sure I'm exasperating some of you with my slow pace XD Don't worry, you see in what conditions these lovebirds are ^///^  
The following chapters will be eventful, promise, and you have no idea how much I want to write them! The very next one in particular it's one of the first I planned starting this fic. And if you think about what the respective episode is about, you might wanna start speculating a little ^3^  
I wanted to post this sooner but things got pretty tense lately, as you probably know. To everyone out there be careful, stay safe and remember to wash your hands!
> 
> Thanks for reading and for all the amazing support, I really cherish every single one of you! Leave a comment, a kudos, a man-hungry Gorbon and remember that DJ KLEB IS HERE TO PARTY!!! B)  
See ya, byee!!
> 
> P.S. As usual tell me if there are errors and OMG THE SILENCE IS FINALLY BROKEN!!! WIZARDS WILL BE OUT IN JUNE-JULY!!! WE'RE BACK BABY!!! <3 <3 <3


	7. Meteor crush

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I did not expect this much struggle for this chapter, it took me way longer than I expected ^^" Sorry everyone, here's your dose of math dorks' shenanigans, fluffy and angsty, along with maybe a bit of development... :3  
Also in this chapter there's a reference to a show I love, just a little easter egg! :P  
Enjoy! ^ ^

That delson Krel Tarron, tech wiz extraordinaire and rightful heir of the Akiridion-5 throne, had saved the planet once again. He had led a bunch of gloobers – also known as the Area 49B most brilliant operators – through ten hours of almost nonstop work to build a deep-space thermo-radiant pulse laser, all between his friends’ undying support and his sister’s remarkable diplomatic skills. Of course some particularly unpleasant memories were still fresh and heavy: the inevitable betrayal of colonel Kubritz, and most of all the merciful gesture of Tronos Madu to allow them to escape. But there was little discussion left over the matter: no matter if it was for revenge or for rescue, any further confrontation with Area 49B couldn’t be put before their task to go back to Akiridion-5. Or the Voltarian’s sacrifice would had been in vain.

With that being said, the facts were clear. They got through a cruel representative of humanity’s skepticism towards the unknown, built a powerful weapon with scrap from old spaceships – the appreciation for recycling was really growing onto him after this second impossible engineering accomplishment –, saved Arcadia from certain doom and got out of the way all together in one piece. The prince had accomplished so much in so little time, truly a reason to be proud.

But right now, as he was running frantically through the dark, solitary, and post-missed-apocalypse roads of Arcadia, with his phone pressed trembling against his ear, Krel had never felt more stupid.

“-You have: 5, new messages.-”

“-H-hey, it’s me. I’m… I don’t know if you saw councilwoman Nunez announcement, but apparently there’s an… asteroid heading our way? T-that will annihilate us in, like, twenty minutes or something. I just, eh, can you believe it? I mean, I don’t know much about politics, but this looks a little extreme as a campaign. It's a… a-a lot. That’s the reason, right? Votes? There’s… there’s no way we’re… oh my gosh… I… I’ll call you later. I promise I will. You, you please be there, okay? See you soon.-”

“Kleb, kleb, kleb!” He breathed through his teeth, dialing _his_ number one more time. The waiting ring was getting stuck into his head. “Pick up, pick up, come on!” Again that annoying registered voice informing him that the number he was calling was not reachable. That the person he had been trying to reach since they got back to the Mothership was nowhere near. His feet were getting heavy, his vision misty. This delson had been too eventful for finishing it with such a sudden run, he should had known better. But he had ran out of rationality at this point.

Arcadia was saved, and all of its citizens with it. They might as well be called heroes. Right now, nothing of the supposed glory was making him feel any better.

“Krel, wait up!!” The roar of an unmistakable Vespa got him to stop, panting, waiting for Steve to catch up with him. “What the heck, man? You can’t just take off without saying a word!” The blonde looked like he had sprinted to catch up with him instead of driving, drops of sweat were shining over his face.

The prince swallowed, promptly avoiding the jock’s persistent glare on him. This oaf was too persistent sometimes. Too… involved.

“My apologies. Please let my sister know that I will be back soon.” 

“Nope, you’re not going anywhere! Not until you give me some answers, you butt… what a face you have, are you okay?” He was even observant occasionally. It made him so annoyingly close. “What’s going on, dude? You stormed off without saying a word, even Aja couldn’t reach up to tackle you!” That would had been impressive and even research-making worth it in any other occasion. Any other but this, with his mind so easily resettable today. Or lately even. 

Krel grimaced, looking down at his phone. He was gripping it so unconsciously hard he didn’t need to think about it. With a sigh he showed the device.

“Johnson has called me within the twenty minutes all of Arcadia thought end was approaching, something I was not aware of. Now he is most likely mad at me again… and I do not blame him.” This was ridiculous, horvaths ago he had been so proud of himself and his team, they even had the time to shoot Kleb or Alive’s scenes – he even said his catchphrase when it wasn’t on the script! He could had come home without knowing and he would had been happy.

Somehow, one name over a phone had been enough to destabilize him

Steve huffed a little, looking at the screen.

“Bah, I’m sure it’s not that bad, how many times did he- Whoa, seventeen?! In twenty minutes?!? He’s definitely out of his mind right now!” He gulped, covering his mouth. “I mean- Maybe he didn’t... notice?” Oh, what a buffoon was this human. “In any case don’t be like that, I’m sure we can solve this.” The jock’s hand went on his shoulder. “Sure Seam is super stubborn and moody, but he still has common sense, you just have to explain-”

Krel laughed without light, looking at him in disbelief. Arcadia was silent from there. Every possible joyful echo was so far away.

“Explain what, Steve? Forgive me Johnson for missing your calls while I was saving your city from certain doom, since I am what you would call an alien??” He sank his head between his shoulders, his fake smile falling. “You truly are my savior, that sure sounds like a totally not idiotic idea.” Oh, that sounded like sarcasm, perhaps? There were so many accomplishments he did not care about that delson. So many he was unnecessarily upset about. And for what?

Steve let go of him, scratching the back of his head. This guy could be thoughtful. Just like most of humans, little could be understood only from the surface.

“... so you’re not planning on telling him?” The prince felt his mouth pop open. “Hey, I get it, all this stuff is pretty hard to confess to someone. But I know Seamus, he loves everything space related, and he would be discrete if you gave him the chance.” The blonde passed a hand through his hair. “I just don’t want you to have problems with him, you know. He really doesn’t like when people keep secrets from him.” Those were words of experience, most likely.

Krel swallowed, shaking his head. That was another, big and complicated situation he did not feel like exploring right now. He just left it in the same rightful place, in that little spot of his mind. That gave him a painful squeeze every time he attempted to think about it.

“I... I do plan on telling him.” _Eventually_ sounded like a better time than _now_. “But at the moment I just want to make things right, he is not answering his phone. I think he is avoiding me out of anger, that’s why I’m heading towards his house, I… I have to see him.” It was getting powerful. It wasn’t even needed Seamus’ presence anymore to feel that warmth. But that heat was now fighting against the coldness moving in his core, making him feel the best and the worst and so, _so_ confused.

Steve gaped for just a sekton, blinking repeatedly. Then his mouth curved, his eyes softened, and that annoying superior aura faded a little in favor of something reliable.

“In that case, we don’t want you to waste any time, now do we?” He pointed with his thumb towards his back, the empty spot on his Vespa. “Come on, hop in. We’ll get there as fast as the wind, trust the power of the Palchuk! Besides, do you even know where Seamus lives?”

“I had every intention to hack into the town’s system to find out.”

“… sometimes I forget my girlfriend’s brother is the embodiment of the ‘I’m in, hacker voice’.” Did he just announced the type of voice he intended to use right into the phrase? “Well, it will still be faster like this, right?” Undeniable. And Krel might had benefitted from a rest, his head was kinda spinning. After a little hesitation he nodded, taking place with the blonde’s extra helmet on and holding onto Steve’s torso. “Hold on, we’re taking off!”

With a loud rumble the Vespa moved and started to dart through Arcadia’s festive roads. The sky was dark, yet a defined covering of smoke was highlighting the town’s nocturnal illumination. Shades of light over very gray clouds. It reminded the prince of the sky of the fair, right after the fireworks. A comforting memory. Soft.

It made him want to avoid every source of discomfort. But his phone was pulsing of data he was not aware of, and Krel knew there was no point into the ignorance.

He just went to the vocal messages once again, holding onto Steve with the other arm.

“-You have: 4, new messages.-”

“-Okay, what the heck Tarron?? I’ve tried to call you at least ten times now! I get it, this situation sucks, but you could at least check out if I’m okay or something! But fine, go tinker with your stupid inventions wearing headphones at full volume, see if I care! I’m just spending the last minutes of my life at home, revaluating my existence, while dad gives me the cold shoulder now of all the moments! He just locked himself into his room, he didn't even _try_ to look at me!! So thank you, man, thanks a lot for not caring! Thanks for making this a terrible end, the perfect finale of my terrible life!!!-”

The prince closed his eyes, getting closer to the driver’s ear.

“Please speed up.” He would had hated himself so much any other delson. This needy, eager and worried person, this was not the proud prince of house Tarron. It was more like the helpless and insecure tone of an earthling. Of a human.

Steve simply nodded, the sudden acceleration almost got the passenger out of his seat. They were zigzagging around the cars, so many vehicles were left with no driver over the road. And on the sidewalk every now and then, people reunited in groups sharing hugs, handholds, kisses. Shops and other popular buildings quickly faded away from their surroundings, replaced by dark green aisles, nice little houses and a less illuminated area. The festive voices of the Arcadians were getting further and further, even so from every single window families could be seen. Proud of surviving through just another difficult challenge. Proud of being positive and being united no matter what.

After one particularly harsh curve Steve stopped all of the sudden, making the prince jump painfully on his posterior. He would had complained if not for the number of cars left carelessly in the way, left even in the middle of the sidewalk probably in favor of celebrations.

Steve hissed, moving the handle from one side to the other.

“Oh come on! Right in this block they had to organize the free parking lot?! The end of the world shouldn’t be an excuse for how often it happens!” He breathed out, looking around for a way to go. It looked like the entire neighborhood had stopped right at the sighting of the asteroid. “Okay… okay, maybe I can take a bit of a running start and-”

“You are not jumping over a block of cars, Steve.”

“But it’s the perfect plan! Look at it this way, it’s night so there’s the moon to jump in front of, I have an alien, well Akiridion, right by my side, and I even have a Vespa instead of a bike! Time to bring honor to the name Steven!”

“... I have no idea what you are rambling about.” The blonde just raised his finger slowly, pointing to his phone while mumbling in some kind of creepy voice – what was wrong with him, did he wanted to _call home_ or something? “If Johnson’s house is within this block, we could simply leave your vehicle behind for the time being.” A very unenthusiastic grunt followed that sentence, but at least it translated to action. 

After taking off the helmets they hopped down the Vespa. Steve held his hands together to allow the prince to climb on the top of a car, and consequentially pull the jock along. They jumped off and finally walked towards the complex of houses around.

Everything was starting to feel far away. Krel would had found truly fascinating the idea of finally getting to see Seamus’ house for the first time. But his curiosity was held back strongly. All he could think of right now, was the confrontation. And the reality that he truly had no idea how to explain himself. He simply followed Steve’s quick pace, eyes falling on the digital screen once again. He didn’t want to hear. Those mekrons of not knowing were not pleasant, but they had so much space for possible worse. Yet his hand was already moving.

“-You have: 3, new messages.-”

“-Hi Tarron. It's… it’s me again. I’m sorry, I’m sorry I’m like this every single time and never learn! I… huh… you know, dad came out of his room. I discovered why he hid there in the first place, he was crying. I never saw him crying before, never. It was so weird. Even weirder, he hugged me, for the first time in my life he actually hugged me. And the weirdest part of all? I hugged back. I cried, dang it, he's not perfect, but he’s my dad. He is my d-dad… why does it have come to this? I-I don’t even know what to think anymore, I’m losing it. I need to hear someone, anyone… no. No, I need to hear you. Please… please call me back.-”

“On second thought.” Krel stopped on tracks. His eyes were getting blurry, his throat hurt madly. “This was a rushed decision, and most likely a bad idea.”

Steve turned immediately, gaping.

“What? Why?”

“He has been through such an upsetting moment, I don’t want to add more stress into the situation. Also I… I think-” The prince swallowed, closing his eyes only to let that burn fade away. “I think I let him down. Unknowingly but still so, all the support I couldn’t provide might had worsened the grave situation he was already in and… I don’t know how to face him.” Just the thought of having to deal with his blind rage ached. It made his body froze, even while being so close. Just a few steps from this house, so neatly like others but unique. Because it was _his_.

Just the time to put a few thoughts in order, and for his eyes to dry off, and the Palchuk started snickering. Surprisingly empty of that usual mockery tone, more like an endearing reveal that somehow couldn’t make him stop.

“Wow, just wow!”

It was irritating nonetheless. Krel glared at him.

“I fail to see the humor into my predicament.”

“Sorry, sorry, it's just kinda weird hearing you talk about someone else’s feelings.” That was undeniable, no matter how denigrating. “But you are so worried about Seamus, he got you to open a little, that’s really cool. You have no idea how cocky he would get if he knew he’s the first human that managed to open up your mind!” Again the laugh. Less annoying. More familiar.

More comfortable, and… logical.

Right, when did that happen? Staying in presence of humans used to be such a nuisance for him, but Krel had been entrusting this blonde oaf to reach a specific place like he knew he couldn’t lead him wrong. And what about his sister’s female companions? They had aided – unconsciously – the defeat of Morando’s fleet headed to Earth, and they had defended them against Kubritz’ stubbornness with wit and courage. Toby and Eli? Friends, actual friends, a term he barely ever had the privilege of using, especially on Akiridion-5.

And Seamus… when did it happen? When had his well-being become so important? All Krel knew that for a while now, he had gotten used to this. To this wholesome feeling inside of him, filling that unknown void into his core inch by inch.

“… you might be right.”

“I know I am right, I’m the king of science!” A forever oaf, even after such an insightful speech. “And since I’m a never-ending source of right answers, I can tell, you don't have to overthink everything with that little nerdy mind of yours! Just go for it for once!” The blonde gave a sympathetic look towards the house, the eyes of someone that knew. “I mean, do you really wanna leave that buttsnack sulking on his own in a moment like this? I don’t think so.”

Krel didn’t either. It felt so right his desire to turn around and go back to where he came from disappeared. It was okay. It was the right way, he wanted to be here. He wanted to see him.

“Alright. I’m doing this.”

“Well, I don’t really want to ruin all the mushy mood.” He wasn’t even going to ask about that one, it sounded teasing and that was enough. “So I’m out of here, I’m probably already up for the scolding of the century from mom and dad- I mean coach- Dad- Huh… anyway.” Steve cleared his voice, clumsily gesturing. “That’s the house, I’m sure you smarty pants are putting together a plan already, so I’ll see you later.” Nothing was as clear as he put it – plus clothes weren’t intelligent, what the Gaylen –, but it was fair. It was a matter that had to be dealt between the two of them. This was not a royal matter, nor intellectual. Emotions were involved, feelings that could break so easily because of just one wrong word.

But he was here. And perhaps he was not the only one worried. That thought alone managed to charge him. The prince nodded to himself, moving a few steps towards the house.

“… Steve?”

“Mm?” He stopped, facing his confused expression.

“It is true that Johnson has lead me to a deeper knowledge of other people’s feelings, but I would have never considered showing interest towards other humans if you have not demonstrated to me that some of them were trustworthy.” Krel smiled at him. “I am glad Aja chose to trust you. Thanks for the help.” An arrogant and quite overconfident response would had been so expectable, so characteristic of him. But just like almost every human he had encountered had proven to him, on this planet nothing was that predictable.

Steve widened his eyes, a light shined into his bright brown irises. A glimmer of pride, and gratefulness. It blossomed into the sincerest smile Krel had ever seen on him.

“Anytime, bro.” He waved at him, then took off towards his Vespa. The prince didn’t even lose time correcting him this time, it didn’t feel necessary. Or wrong, for the matter.

Krel faced the house again. The world was closing by, highlighting the simple shape of the building, the mailbox, the doormat, the familiar black car. His steps were painfully countable, his mind ached as it felt the distance getting slimmer and slimmer. There was no need for more concern, he was aware. Yet it felt unfair to exclude the recorded blonde’s feelings out, and the fear of leaving something important behind was too much to ignore what was left in the voicemail.

So he went to his phone again, stopping in front of the door.

Watching that last barrier as Seamus’ recorded voice erupted once again.

“-You have: 2, new messages.-”

“-… hey. You know who it is, eh. I’m freaking out a little, you know. According to the TV, there are less than three minutes left… Tarron please, if by miracle you hear this please call me back. I have so many regrets, about my life, about my family, too many things I have to do. Making up with dad, talking with mom, becoming an astronaut, man even the littlest things like setting the score between us with a new Math Duel! But there is another one. And this, this I need to get off of my chest. For once in my life, I don’t wanna be a coward. And I don’t wanna leave things unsaid between us… I want you to know how much you mean for me.-”

“What in the world?! You're that foreigner!” What a marvel, Mr. Johnson had managed to manifest magically right before his eyes without him noticing. Or caring. The door was open, the barbarous man was glaring at him with his son’s same bright flaming eyes.

And Krel was left gaping at him, his hand sweating around the phone still held against his ear. His core was trembling like crazy, scaring him. His entire body was crossed by a stream of pure adrenaline, from his chest to his stomach, from the tip of his fingers to the center of his back. A shocking tickle that left him confused, startled, fascinated. In an absolute limbo between smiling until his cheeks could bare it or let his jaw touch the ground.

At the end, when his mind wiped away the mist in front of his eyes, he cleared his voice. Trying to hold back a grin so big he wasn’t aware it could exist.

“U-uhm, greetings Mr. Johnson. Forgive my intrusion.”

“Just tell me what are you doing here, you’re not welcomed in my house!” Funny, it didn’t attack his nerves at all. His attention was elsewhere – that mustache kinda looked like a furry larvox, how silly. “In case you haven’t noticed, this town has faced the apocalypse and somehow managed to get out alive. If you’re here for arguing again because of my son’s superior intellect, this is not a good time.” This human was hilarious somehow… also the amount of near-death situations the Arcadians had been through were enough to call it ‘just another day’.

The prince laughed a little, without reason, quitting immediately when Mr. Johnson grunted – sounding like Varvatos after missing a target, just without the loud ‘preposterous’. He tried to keep his composure, although his shoulders were shaking.

“I, uhm, I was hoping I could talk to your son. I believe he has been trying to reach out for me a few times, and I wanted to make sure he is-”

“Wait.” Mr. Johnson eyes grew two sizes bigger, and his big hand was placed right in front of his nose as a rude stop motion – that line over the palm looked like a power fluctuation data, so funny. “YOU’re the one he kept trying to call?” Trying to fight off that sudden proud smile Krel shrugged slightly. “You’re the one that… that’s absurd, I can’t believe it.” The man put the hand on his forehead. Like there was even more going on than the prince had thought. But what-

“Tarron?” It stopped mattering as soon as those strawberry blonde hair entered his view. “What are you doing here? Don't you have post-apocalypse stuff to do? Like, somewhere else?” His eyes were judging, his frown deep and uncomfortable. Hostile even.

That let the adrenaline fade, a little. Krel’s smile fell.

“But I thought-"

“Oh well, you're here now, you might as well get in so we can… confront our rivalry or whatever.” The blonde grabbed his wrist and the prince lost that little control he had left over his actions. “We'll be in my room dad!” So he let himself be dragged upstairs under Mr. Johnson's still widened eyes, that quickly disappeared around a corner.

Questions, questions, questions. They all disintegrated when Krel found himself behind a door – with big ‘stop’ and ‘keep out’ signs over it, why the traffic signatures in a house he wondered –, and right into Seamus’ warmest embrace. Nothing to say, nothing to object. He simply reached out for his back, grabbing his shirt, breathing against his shoulder. It melted such a weight from his shoulders, burden after burden that had accumulated so consequentially and slowly that he had realized it only now. It was beautifully liberating.

It was always beautiful with him.

Krel swallowed, his throat pressing against that familiar black shirt. His exhaustion gifted him with such a slow realization, yet with stronger senses. Reality came to him like a cover of chills over his spine.

“Uhm, Johnson?” The blonde cleared his voice. Without moving an inch.

“Sorry about the little act back there. I didn’t expect you to come over so suddenly.” From his tone it wasn’t unappreciated the slightest. “I haven’t really told dad about me dating you, I know he would make a fuss about it and I’m never in the mood to deal with one of those. I will, I promise, just not right now. I hope that’s okay.” His hand was caressing his back, so carefully.

It hurt a little, but it was absolutely fair considering the type of human they were dealing with. Besides, Krel knew he wasn’t the right person to judge about honesty.

“It is, there is no rush.”

“Good, good, now that that’s out of the way…” Seamus grabbed his shoulders and pushed him away, flame blazing through his eyes that Krel hadn’t noticed were this red and lucid. “Where the heck were you?!? I’ve been calling you nonstop during all of the end of the world!!”

“… it was technically the end of the Eastern and Western seaboar-”

“Are you serious with me right now?!?” His grip tightened, making him wince. “I thought I was going to die, I thought everything was over! And I didn’t even get to talk to you one last time, I was so… _so_…” It weakened right away, and Krel felt his chest hurt. Because Seamus looked tired as well, from worry and stress. Hearing the ringtone going into voicemail repeatedly and hopelessly definitely did not improve the situation. Or his mood. Or his heart.

Krel trembled, and suddenly his hands were on Seamus’ chest. Too tired to realize, too out of it to see those blue eyes widening. His heartbeats were so fast. Was the fear still circulating? Was it something else? It was fascinating either way.

“I’m sorry, I truly am, I was scared too, I didn’t even think about the world outside. But I came here as soon as I could.” He breathed out.

Seamus sighed, shrugging weakly.

“It's okay… it’s fine really, you don’t have to apologize. It's not even fair blaming you for not picking up within, like, twenty minutes. All that mess happened and we’re okay, that's all that matters.” He smiled weakly at him, his eyelids still a little swollen from what seemed to have been very tearful moments. “Better just be in peace with it, it’s not like there was something we could have done about it.”

It broke right there, the protective numbness that his exhaustion had been covering him with. Right there the truth hit the barrier disintegrating it in million pieces, echoing loudly into his head. All of the sudden Krel was somewhere new. This wasn’t his date’s room, in a house of Arcadia. This was the safe chamber of a very alive guy, in a survived house of a town that did not turn into ashes because of him. No, not only. It was nearby Steve’s block, what about him? And his family? While going through the center he had seen Darci and Mary celebrating, what of them if the plan had failed? What of Senor Uhl, and Mrs. Janeth? Of Stuart and Zadra? Seklos, what of Mother that could not fly at all, not even to save herself from certain doom? Varvatos? His sister? Their _parents_! They could had been gone, they could had all been gone! Because of one mistake of him, every single one of them could had disappeared.

The blonde was wrong, Krel could had done something about it. And he did. But they had brushed failure so vividly it was becoming real. This city could had been gone, this house could had been done, this room could had been gone, Seamus, _Seamus_ could had been go-

He was talking, he clearly saying something. _Breath_. The prince could mostly hear a loud whistle, getting weaker and weaker the longer the blonde kept his warm hands over his, still pressed against his chest. He took them, slowly, gently, and from Krel’s mind that rhythmic natural sound echoed softly, dissipating his worries one by one. They were so close. His shirt’s scent was surprisingly reassuring, of an undefined odor. Warm, like everything about him. Breathing was getting easier.

The prince looked up from their united hands, just to cross his eyes. 

“F… forgive me, I… I don’t know what came over me.” His clear and safe eyes.

Seamus offered him such an open smile, and it was like everything was fine again.

“I’m guessing you didn’t have much time to deal with the situation, huh?” Ah, there was no end to embarrassment on this planet. “Hey, don’t be like that! It's good, I'm… kinda happy you lowered your guard with me around.” The prince couldn’t help but smile, taking one last deep breath. “If there’s someone that should feel ashamed is me, you should’ve seen me these minutes! Like, you think Pepperjack is good at overreacting? I think I stole his crown!”

“Is it similar to the vocal messages you sent me?”

“What vocal messag- AH!!” The blonde almost clawed his shoulders, shaking him. “Look at me sincerely and tell me you didn’t listen to them!!”

Krel grimaced, feeling the tiniest bit of guilt.

“… I am in no way able to do both.”

“I can’t believe this is happening!!” Seamus let go, hiding his face between his hands with a grunt. “That wasn’t…! I was out of my mind, okay? Whatever you listened to in those recordings, that’s not me! I bet I said a never-ending waterfall of embarrassment…” That level of whining the prince had seen it before only that one time Luug had decided to eat a skelteg – or even Aja in the same occasion, since she had been designated to assist their pet during his consequential _pooty_ situation.

Krel looked at him, worried, passing a hand on his neck. What to do in this kind of situation? There was no such thing as a mind-wiping machine… well, yet – here it went in the to-do list right after the wormhole generator.

“They were not that bad.”

“Mhm?”

“If it makes you feel any better, I have not listened to them all. I believe I have one message still to hear, the last one.” He had been about to when Mr. Johnson had opened the door, now he was glad he did not. It had been a very tense moment thinking about it, it was only fair this guy got caught up saying stuff he did not mean… even if it did extinguish a little his excitement.

Seamus slowly looked at him, his hands sliding to his mouth. He blinked, looking around like he was making a mental count. Then he brightened.

“Tarron you have to promise you won’t listen to that. Delete it, okay?”

“Ah, huh, of course.”

“I mean it, that's just…” He bit his lip, his cheeks betraying him and giving Krel just the slightest bit of interest. There was so much fear in his messages, so much regret. But also expectations, hopes and… something else. “That’s stuff I should’ve kept for myself, it’s kinda personal… you know what, do it right now okay?” He glared at him, but his lip quivering was simply eager to archive this question as fast as possible.

Krel hesitated, just for a sekton. Curiosity had always been hard to resist to for him, and somehow the blonde’s secrecy made it even more appealing. But his blue pleading eyes, and the thought of just another demoralizing monologue were enough.

“Alright.” He took out his phone.

“… are you actually doing it or is it just to show?”

“What? I am of course, see?” The prince showed the screen. Seamus nodded, sighing in relief. He looked awfully worried about this. It fueled even more his curiosity, but Krel wanted to respect his wish. Right as he was about to a message from his sister appeared, saying that Steve told her about the situation and wishing him good luck. It made him smile. “At least one problem is solved.” Hopefully she wasn’t too worried. He quickly answered back.

Seamus looked at him and snickered awkwardly, catching his attention.

“Thanks for that, I know I’m being petty.” Oh, he thought Krel just did, better cancel right now or he might had interpreted that as a hesitatio- “That reminds me though, there something I wanted to ask you.”

“… huh?” His finger decided to block the screen instead of completing the action. The prince swallowed, slowly putting his phone away. A warm tingle made his shoulders tremble.

Seamus cleared his voice, giving him a bashful smile.

“This, huh, this will probably sound weird. Like, what the heck Johnson, we just survived the apocalypse and THIS is the first thing you wanna talk about? But, I don’t know, it got stuck as one of those things I wasn’t going to get the chance to do if everything was to end. I have more than a few regrets, but I think this one should be easy to cross.” Pure softness into his expression, and suddenly there was nothing more important to listen to.

Krel held his breath, while in his mind the forbidden messages were replaying. That pleading and honest voice ready to come clean about them. To finally, finally… the prince had never felt so close to something he wasn’t aware of.

Nor this excited.

“W-what is this about?”

“Just… ah dang it, it’s really stupid. I just wanna get it over with, it feels like we postponed this every single time we’ve seen each other.” Seamus cleared his voice, his presence was all Krel could focus on right now. “I want to… how do I say it, sorry, I’m messing this up already!”

“It is okay!” Krel grabbed his hand, out of pure impulse. It never felt this comfortable searching for someone’s contact. “I want to know.”

Seamus looked at him. He smiled, kindly, affectionately, like whatever was going on in that complex and sometimes confusing mind, it was bringing out the most serene part of him. And the prince couldn’t look more forward to it. The silence around them was filled with expectation. The air in between was warm, comforting. Magnetic. Defying science was never annoying with him around, it was a reality that Krel used to have a hard time to accept and was now seeing on another level. This moment, after such fear, such uncertainty, seemed made just to exist now.

The blonde smirked, tightened his grasp. Then let go, turning around towards the desk. The prince blinked, confused, still on edge. Something he was looking forward to, something he wasn’t quite sure about but needed to happen. Something… something…

… that had little to nothing to do with the math book the blonde was so proudly showing to him.

“Ta-dah! You think it will be challenging enough for two geniuses?” Another one of those tedious knowledge bricks, with the word ‘Algebra’ written in white over a space-like cover. It had four specific geometric shapes, a purple cone, a white sphere, a garnet red square and a pink diamond, positioned one next to the other in harmony; the name of the author was in the corner, R. S., and it appeared to be the last version of the bunch – what a pity for what looked like such a well made series, but what a good conclusion was too.

Krel blinked. Again. And again. No avail, the image in front of him was not fantasy. For once, his brain was having a hard time deciphering the situation.

“What… what is this for?”

“The rematch, of course! After all this time we still haven’t settled the score with a second Math Duel, it’s only fair since the first time we technically tied.” Seamus tapped over the cover, there was a veil of plastic over it. “I still haven’t opened it, it’s a new edition that came out just the other day so it’s fair for the both of us. What do you say? Are you ready to finally crown the king of math?” His grin was so wide, full of pride.

Because of… this.

The prince kept looking between the book and the person in front of him, confused. Disappointed even. Like this was yet another big joke he didn’t understand and the math blonde was simply playing along. But he was still waiting, smiling.

“… so you simply wanted to ask me to duel again?”

“What- well yes, of course. To decide who is the best.”

“Sure, sure, whatever, but that’s it? That is the only thing you wanted to ask me with such eagerness?” The blonde nodded. “Nothing else?” He did it again, and suddenly it was over. There was no saving for that sudden void inside of the prince.

But then Seamus’ smile fell.

“It’s… it’s weird isn’t it, I shouldn’t have asked, I’m sorry. It’s okay if you don’t want to.” And nothing mattered more than to put that grin back on his face.

So Krel grabbed the book, brushing their fingers together, and thought that since summer vacation had started he had somehow missed solving math problems with no bigger reason than to get Mrs. Janeth to stop looking at him weird. 

“I could never say no to such a will to be defeated.” Sometimes, the flame into his blue eyes could be pleasant like this. Just so focused, excited. And on no one but him. Maybe that was all Krel needed after all. Maybe this was indeed the best thing he could had asked for right now. No matter how much his chest ached of some unresolved conflict.

They set the equation pretty quickly getting immediately to work, and for a while the only sound was the press of their writing tools. Seamus got the bed, laying on his belly with a notebook on his pillow. The window’s light was completely absent, it was getting truly late. 

So caught up with the moment prior the prince had failed to notice the details. But right now, while sitting on Seamus’ desk with a pen in hand and the flickering light of a nearby lamp, he took his time to have a look around. He had been in other’s rooms before, Jim’s, Toby’s. Yet it was an almost giddy experience standing into Seamus’, picturing his daily life happening around him. From the little planets over the blanket of the bed, to the very old looking telescope pointed at the only window, to the set of math formulas neatly framed on the walls that seemed completely out of place – his bet was on Mr. Johnson’s hand. It was unequivocally the blonde’s room. No one else’s.

It was most definitely a less menacing Math Duel, even comforting.

“I don’t think I’ve ever willingly started a math exercise that wasn’t homework before. Not without one of dad’s orders, that’s for sure.” Seamus giggled, such a peaceful sound. After their exchange, this felt like a restful moment for the both of them.

Krel put his pen down mindlessly.

“That is true, it is rare for me as well to applicate such formulas without major purposes.” Or without having to use his brain to save their lives. He had never missed this much his pointless tinkering back at Akiridion-5. Those were… the rare moments he could be in his own world. “… this delson I worked on something important. And I succeeded, of course. Apart from the terrifying prospective of our demises, I felt in charge and in control. I felt good.” He breathed, the pen rolled a little away from him. “I wish I could only focus on that, and nothing else.” Of this liberating feeling Krel was starting to not get enough of. It scared him what else might slip away.

From Seamus’ side the bed creaked a little. The pen stopped, it was silence.

“I get that. Don't wanna do something just because someone told you, since you already know where you belong. I feel the same.” The way he could understand so easily with so little information was mesmerizing. “But today dad was… nice? I guess in the face of death everyone shows their true colors.”

“… does he not actually possess white hair?”

Seamus snickered, the bed shifting again.

“Okay, I know you’ve come a long way since the literal mess you used to throw at me, but to be honest I got used to it so don’t change it too much. It's honestly really cute.” This guy’s sneakiness truly knew no end. As much as it still messed with his facial muscles, hurting his cheeks, it was also mildly downing after… after- “I’m not hearing your pen moving, I hope you’re not sleeping over your work because I’m warning you, I’m halfway there!”

“Halfway there? Johnson, I concluded two mekrons ago.”

“Wait, what??” The bed practically bounced and in one sekton Krel felt Seamus’ breath over his shoulder. His entire body shivered. Why the punishment, great Gaylen? He had saved the planet today, again! “Holy mole, you weren’t kidding when you said you’ve been holding back!”

“Whoever said I was?”

“No one, okay, but… huh…” Where his eyes deceiving him, or did the prince spotted in the corner of his eyes the blonde’s hand almost touching his shoulder? “… w-well then! Back to work!” The moment Krel tried to turn around Seamus had already launched himself over the bed, lying down with arched shoulders and his forehead almost attached to the paper. “Besides, you know what they say! Slow and steady wins the race, eheh…” His pen went back to writing, the press strong and forceful so it was the only sound filling the room.

Slow and steady wins the race? Pff, what a stupid saying, it naively changed the basics of a traditional running challenge. Of course it is the fastest that wins, why would it be otherwise? It was… huh… why bother?

Krel sank into his chair, the writing tool between his fingers, tracing twice every single digit on his paper. Learning how to use Earth numbers wasn’t hard. Applying them for math problems? A piece of _pancake_, as the humans said. Adapting to the terrestrial knowledge was fairly easy really, with the right method and a good predisposition. Yet no matter the study, no matter the data, sometimes it felt like he was learning nothing at all. Nothing that truly mattered.

It took some more, painfully quiet mekrons for the blonde to put down the pen, taking a deep breath then getting on his knees, paper in hand. Krel slowly opened the book to the results page.

“… well, the solution is minus ten, which is my conclusion as well. As we most likely arrived to the same result, perhaps we should establish a winner by a secon-”

“Minus ten?” Seamus gasped, going through his paper spasmodically. “No way, I got sixteen, there’s no way that’s the result, I should have…” His eyes widened, his jaw fell. “… I rewrote the same number instead of the multiplication’s result. It’s… it’s such a stupid mistake, I can’t believe I…!” He froze, going over and over again through the problem, the tip of his fingers turning white as he gripped the notebook with more strength.

It got Krel on his feet almost without him realizing. No matter the tension, no matter the aftermath of the ‘end’ of Arcadia. Just like when he had seen him in the park that night, teary eyes too blue to be true, he couldn’t ignore him. That feeling had grown so much stronger since then.

“Hey, it is fine. You barely had an oversight.”

Seamus stared at him like he just cursed.

“I don’t get oversights! I got through summer school every year for extra credits and lessons, I organize my study plan to make sure I have the perfect preparation for SAT, gosh I even had a private teacher during the time dad thought my five looked like an s! I’m not that _stupid_ to make mistakes!!” His tone raised, so suddenly the blonde himself gulped, suddenly free of that chaotic mix of frustration and fear. He bit his lip, putting the paper far away from him like it could bite him. “… forget that. I didn’t mean it.”

That was not true. It wasn’t, Krel was sure of it, even with his little understanding of human emotions. Even with his skepticism regarding how two people could somehow get each other without the need of words. It was so clear there was no need to use logic.

He sat on the bed, near this angry guy so closed onto himself.

“There is no shame in making mistakes.” It had quickly become his personal mantra after the thirty-seventh attempt at the wormhole generator. “Failing is what makes science improve, change and develop, we would never move if we were not prone to make miscalculations. That does not make you stupid.” The blonde was smart enough to keep up with him in a challenge based on Mrs. Janeth’s math. Smart enough to reach for him when things were too confusing or complicated for him. Smart enough to understand him, little by little, accepting every little weird detail.

Seamus blinked, looking at him. There was such sadness behind his eyes.

“… it’s been a while.” He tried a little smile, still as dark as his expression. “It’s been a very long time since I had someone telling me it’s okay to make mistakes. That’s nostalgic.” Yet even in such a turbulent feeling, his eyes were fond. Deep, gentle. Unpleasant feelings risked hiding such profundity, but the prince was no soolian.

He could see them clearly. He could see _him_.

“I do believe you are quite the intelligent guy.”

“Heh, I don’t think I’ve ever heard you calling someone smart other than yourself.”

“You better make it count then, you math blonde!” Krel smiled at the other’s snicker. “So, perhaps you would like to participate to another round?” 

“Nah, it doesn't really matter anyway, I’d say we have a winner after all! Congratulation, you’re officially the king of math. And you defeated an honor student of Arcadia Oaks High, that alone deserves some kind of prize!” Seamus hummed softly, looking around for an idea, then suddenly snapped his fingers. “Oh, I know, how about a date? We could watch the stars together, how does that sound?”

Quite lovely really, but it didn’t ease all of the heaviness behind that sudden angry reaction of the blonde. Krel tilted his head, raising a hand to him.

“Are you sure you're okay with this?”

“I’m… yes. Yes, I’m fine.” Seamus held his hand, his eyes focused on floating thoughts the prince wasn’t able to see. “Can we just do something together? Enjoy our time like always, I’d really like that.” A gentle curve appeared, spent by eyes empty of light. What was he thinking about? What was he talking about before, regarding that ‘nostalgic’ feeling? Why did he look relieved yet always so, so far away from him?

Krel felt his lip trembling. There was more behind, but probing was not going to solve the problem in his opinion. The idea of just another them-time, that sounded healthier. And appealing.

“Very well.” The blonde smiled in relief. “Although I do not think it would be a good idea leaving the place to watch astral corpses, even considering the pollution of the area that hides most of the stars. After such an event, staying safe at home seems like the best idea.”

“Huh, weird.”

“What?”

“I never said we were going to leave.” Seamus got up, made sure to shut the door and went to close the curtains at the window. Then he got to the lamp, the only source of light in the room. He winked at his guest and turned it off.

Of the scary, absolute darkness of Earth there was little left of. Instead, Krel saw the ceiling covered in phosphorescent stars, placed all over from the wall near the bed to the space around the door. It was barely an illumination, it made it hard to actually see each other clearly. But it was of an attractive obscurity, energetic.

_ Homey _ . It looked kinda like Akiridion-5.

“Fascinating…” Seamus turned on another lamp on his nightstand, less bright than the other and shaped like the Earth’s moon. “You really do like space.” Weirdly enough that thought gave him a giddily feeling of excitement.

The blonde shrugged, sitting back on the bed.

“When I was little it was all about movies and cartoons, and how much I wanted to meet creatures from other planets and befriend them. Then it became something more like ‘that’s the furthest I can get from home so it’s the perfect place’, but that joke died down pretty quickly. At that point, I was way too much into it.” He smiled, laying down over his bed, right next to him. His chest was raising so calmly, his eyes were reflecting the light of the lamp.

It was unsettling yet intriguing, hearing a prospective of the universe from an inhabitant of a D-class planet that hadn’t even perfectioned space travelling. It felt like a trip in the past, the first intuitions, the first dreams, trying to go beyond common sense to create something new. It was still a little pathetic, yet the will to escape was impressive, even scary. That strong desire to evade from the normality, as it was not good enough. Or good at all.

The prince lied down near the boy. Seamus tensed visibly, his arms changed position at least twice before going still again. It was nice. Silent, comfortable, luminous. Krel's eyes went to the fake sky, the shapes placed rigorously to form constellations.

“… I still fail to understand why that is the shape used by humans.”

“Uh, what do you mean?”

“A star is by definition and as a fact, a huge spherical astral corpse of hot gas composed mostly by hydrogen and helium. It is a ball, there is no way it could have spikes. This is a very clear misinterpretation of how it is supposed to look like.” Their hands brushed, Krel held his breath. Just like back at the Mothership during that rainy day, in the darkness of the dark-colored-out. Holding hands in a trembling silence. 

Little by little they met, their fingers intertwined. Seamus choked a little laugh, and it felt like another star had started to shine.

“That’s actually interesting, we don’t represent stars for how they are, but how they look like to us. We know how they’re supposed to be, but our eyes have an imperfection that causes us to see light differently. It's like when you squint looking at a lamp, and you see rays of light.” So humans’ eyes were defective? Typical.

“People have reasons behind what they do, that is quite a surprise.”

“… I don’t think that’s true. You never know if someone is doing something for a reason, just as you can’t really know if what you’re looking at is actually real.” How weird, the atmosphere around them was floating. And his tone, as resentful and angry as it could be, just followed this placid environment. “Like with stars. They are so far away that even if they were all gone, we wouldn’t know until many years to come. Sometimes what you see it’s not real.” His grip tightened. His breath wasn’t as relaxed anymore. “And there’s nothing you can do about it.” The moment was still, just like time in that room.

Just like them, that had become this used to each other. Krel leaned, his head on the shoulder of this guy he had grown to care about.

“I’m listening.” Almost a whisper. Enough to shake the blonde’s body completely, like an electric shock. He slowly leaned back, his temple over his head. His hold strong but warm. And he exhaled one single breath, one who knew for how long he had kept for himself.

“It was… it was probably around fall, kinda cold. Both outside and inside home. I was nine, well nine and a half, and I was just getting away from the umpteenth scolding from dad. I was really upset, so mom… she wanted to cheer me up. And we decided to play ‘the astronaut’, it’s a silly thing she invented for me. My mission was to bring to her the weirdest thing I could find in the house, a pot, a plushie, and she was going to explain the alien origin of it. She would always come up with the funniest stories…” He took a long and trembling breath, closing his eyes. “How… how is _your_ mom?” He needed a mekron, and that was fair.

Krel let his eyes wander through those appearance-shaped stars, through Ursa Minor up to the Polar Star, the biggest hanging on the ceiling. To guide them all.

“Mama is a queen, which I can say both literally and figurately. She is wise, patient, smart and strong, I cannot think of another person that could lead our people.” Knowing the blonde knew at least about his royal lineage made it so easy. So liberating once again. “She is not as strict as Papa, but she is not less determinate and focused. A true role model… yet lately…” Seeing the pulsing light into such a dark place made him think about the poor voltarian’s fate, along with his planet. “We found out she is not as impeccable as we thought. She and Papa, they have flaws, they made mistakes. Perhaps we were too caught up with their perfect images to realize it.” Associating his parents with Voltar’s fall was still hard. Accepting it, nearly impossible.

Their hold got lost, Seamus stood with his knees flexed. His eyes were even bluer, reflecting the fluorescent light of the ‘stars’. So close. For once, so _so_ close to him in every possible way.

“… I got competitive for some reason. I was going to find the best ‘alien relic’ I could find and bring it to mom. So I got into my parents’ room, and I saw some boxes over the cupboard. I’ve never looked over there, I was excited.” His fists clenched. “So excited. So I climbed the cupboard, holding onto a handle… and the drawer came out. I fell, hit my head, it wasn’t that high but it still hurt. Mom immediately came over, asking me if I was okay and…” Every single sekton of silence was getting heavier and heavier.

Krel got up as well, trying to get it, to follow him. Reaching him wherever his dark state of mind had brought him to.

“What… what was in the drawer?” Seamus swallowed hard.

“Stuff, lots of stuff, like a pink purse with a bow, a bunch of discharged batteries, an orange little bottle… and a letter with a heart.” A snort came out, it did not change his melancholic face. “One of those cliché thing. ‘My beloved Lydia’ was written on it. That messy calligraph wasn’t my dad’s for sure, and when mom saw me reading them she slapped my hand. She never hurt me before. Not even once.” He rubbed his palm. “At that point dad came along. And he was… emotionless. Not even mad, just empty. He asked what was that, mom said nothing. She was crying, I was crying too, and at that point dad just brought me in my room. He told me that everything was okay. Everything was going to be okay.” He huffed, the fluorescent light reflecting even more into his eyes. “Unlike with mom, I never had trouble recognizing his lies.”

It didn’t need an ending, this story. It was written already, they were both aware. But there was also an unsaid plea, a heavy burden that was never going to disappear unless it was said. And after confessing this much, the least the prince could do was complete this frame.

“That… that is how your parents divorced?” It made him feel guilty. But somehow seeing those clear tears shining felt right. Like he was finally getting everything out.

Seamus breathed in and out, again and again, nodding slowly.

“They weren’t talking to each other anymore. I didn’t expect them to just pretend for me, but at least… try? Couldn't they try? I guess not.” He hugged his knees, shaking his head. “Six month later, mom signed the divorce papers once and for all and took off.” He bit his lip. “No questions, no explanation. She just went and never came back… all because of me.”

Krel just stared at him, feeling his core swelling. Everything was finally completing the puzzle called Seamus Johnson he had started to compose for a while now.

“You know that is not true, you are smarter than this. And while I do realize how difficult this moment was and still is, you know better than analyze a situation as subjectively as you are doing right now.” His tone was changing. It was calmer. Softer. The blonde seemed to respond to than naturally, his muscles were less tense.

His tears vivid, yet somehow complementary of his blue shining eyes.

“… just… just because you beat me doesn’t mean you can act all mighty.” A little smile appeared on the both of them. “The problem is that if I don’t blame myself, I blame her… and I’m so tired of being angry, I even ruined our first date with that!”

“I still very much enjoyed it.”

“It was your first, I didn’t have much to mess up with.” Before the prince could interject Seamus scooted closer, their shoulders bumped. “… you know, I actually tried to call her. During the not-end-of-the-world situation. Right after she tried to call me back, but at that point I already lost the courage altogether. I actually closed my phone into my drawer for that reason.” That was why he wasn’t picking up, he hadn’t been avoiding him! “But I do wanna talk to her. I just have to get over this little complex of mine, the fact that I hate _liars_.” It was a big step, considering the affectionate parental bond that had somehow emerged from his stories.

Krel decided to focus on that, just that. Because if he let himself be distracted on just another one of his words, something might had slipped. And this wasn’t the right time for that. Not after hearing such an intimate story. Not in front of his shimmering tears. Not after getting so close to their demises that day, a thought that alone could make him shiver.

“That is good. I hope you will find some peace with it.”

“Thanks. Thank you, really.” Seamus wiped away his tears, finally laughing sincerely. “I can’t believe you’re not tired of me already, it’s like every time we hang out you become my psychologist! There must be something nicer to do during a date, come on.” Whatever this psyche logos was, the prince went over it.

It had become easy not concentrate on the less important things, to focus on something better.

“I think it is worth it.” Closer. Like Seamus’ hand over his. His smile mirroring his.

“I’m really glad you’re here.”

This warmth was making his see double, yet no one else. Not the fake stars, not the obscurity of a planet that wasn’t his, not his mission outside that was supposedly going to bring their family back to their home. Just him.

Krel swallowed, his eyes fell, because it was starting to get too much.

“I would not want to be anywhere else.” Too much of this beautiful feeling.

It was silent, and for the first time the ceiling actually resembled the universe moving around them. No time, no gravity, no sound. Just the two of them floating like there was nothing wrong, and breathing was unnecessary. The prince couldn’t bring himself to look up, his throat was so dry all of the sudden and his core felt like it could explode. Did he say something wrong? Did he say something _right_? What did he just admit to himself and to this person? Why was every step around him so complicated and thrilling at the same time?

The comfortably tense silence started to get more and more pressured, Krel felt his lips open only to disintegrate this annoying quietness. But he couldn’t think of anything.

“_Krel_.” And then he couldn’t think at all.

His own gasp left like the lightest thing, as they crossed eyes. There was something. An energy, electric between blue and brown eyes, yet somehow kinetic through their bodies. Science, beautiful and unexplained, making his core glow just by the feeling. Seamus was right there, and it felt like a surprise. Like he just got here, with that new inclination in his irises, with how his gaze was so focused and direct.

On him. His face, his eyes. His _lips_.

When the blonde gently brought a hand to his cheek, it felt like this moment was too much. Too strong and vivid, fast even while being slow, overbearing while still soft. And the prince felt ready. Swallowing hard, he shifted as silently as possibly, fully facing the guy in front of him, with his ruffled strawberry hair darkened by the night and his blue eyes bright of metaphorical stars. Feeling his trembling fingers near his ear, making his chest flutter. This felt happy. Really happy. In such an unusual way it almost didn’t seem like it, yet he knew it was.

And it got closer. So much closer, slow enough to not scare him, steady enough to let him know it was real. It was very real and very certain and as soon as their noses brushed, Krel closed his eyes. Because he couldn’t hold that intense look any longer. Because this moment was to happen, right here right now, and he wanted to feel it. As much as possible.

His hand wandered blindly, bumping against the blonde’s warm shirt. He held onto it. His muscles were tense. His eyelids pressed closed harshly. His core serene like never before. Seamus was so close he could hear him swallow. His breath was against his lips. Warm. The warmest-

Cold. So _cold_.

The hand was gone, his grasp lost. There was silence for an unbearable moment, so fast the prince didn’t have the time to think about opening his eyes. Then the light kicked in, the obscurity of his eyelids got colored in purples and reds, and he slowly opened his vision to the now fully illuminated room. He felt lightheaded, confused. His core was gloomy. Empty. They were going to…? Then why didn’t he…? What was…?

Seamus was sitting, giving him his back, with his legs out of the bed. A hand over his head, like whenever he encountered a dilemma. Krel swallowed, slowly taking back the control over his body.

“… _Sea_-”

“Could you…” The blonde sighed harshly, scratching his elbow. Not giving him his eyes. “Could you leave? I, I need to be alone.” Not giving him anything.

After building a weapon able to destroy asteroids. After saving this mud planet, again. After facing just another proof of humanity’s hypocrisy. After running all the way here fueled only by guilt and will. Not even once the King-in-waiting had cracked. Not even once he had let himself go with his worst feelings. He had been needed all day long. A great ruler was supposed to be strong and confident. Set the example.

With this hit, the prince of Akiridion-5 realized it was too much. Everything was just too much. He chocked a sob, relieved and frustrated that the guy wasn’t looking at him.

Seamus didn’t _want_ to look at him.

“I-I’m-”

“Just go home, okay? I… I’ll text you. Promise.” The blonde leaned his elbows over his knees, grabbing his head between his hands. His shoulders were statuary. Everything had changed all of the sudden while the prince wasn’t looking and it was unfair. So unfair.

Was he… was Krel the problem?

His muscles were shocked and still, his core had no intention to move, while his mind wanted to go as far away as possible. Prioritizing his superior intellect had never felt heavier. The prince got up, giving the guy just another look. In case he changed his mind, in the few sektons around them. Nothing. No movement. The fake stars over their heads had disappeared. Just like the real ones, as soon as the sun was to come.

“… bye.” He opened the door, hearing the faintest frustrated whisper behind, and then closed it. The air was cold. Everything was mesmerizingly cold out there.

With that, his brain took over. It wasn’t difficult memorizing the way back to the Mothership, even in such a dark hour he was plenty of capable to get there safely. He just needed to let everything to his intellect, and his feet. Gone was the weird and still shocked look of Mr. Johnson as he got out. The people still outside celebrating their lives still intact. The houses he was crossing, the roads all connected. The center of the city, the park, all the shops.

Lights on, the dark sky. Almost completely black.

Krel let out an unsteady breath. He stopped. How could he break because of this? And why really? Because nothing happened? Because he was hoping something was going to happen? Because he got rejected and send out without an explanation? No. No. Absolutely not.

He closed his eyes, shaking his head. He started running, because it was so late and dark and there were so many things to do back at the ship. Akiridion-5's safety, Mama and Papa, the bounty hunters, Morando’s armada, the wormhole generator. An amount of responsibilities that a simple human could never understand, effort and time that needed to be spent for a superior cause. There were more important things he needed to do right now.

Definitely more than… watch the stars.

His pocket vibrated, it got him to jump. For just a sekton, he dared to hope. He hated this acquired naivety. Aja, of course. And Varvatos. And Zadra. And… Stuart, apparently? He got them to worry, he needed to get back and work. He had a mission. He had…

… a message. An unheard vocal message, the forbitten type. The one he didn’t delete.

Krel bit his lip, looking down at his screen. He would had liked to find it in himself the will to stand his ground and get rid of it. It was wrong for him to still have it in the first place, he had promised to cancel it after all. But alas, all he could think about right now was Seamus’ distant back. His attitude, always erupting on him, affecting him. Because somehow when he was in a bad mood, the prince needed to as well. It bothered him. He didn’t have the right to hold such power on a future king. On a royal genius! He was the heir of Akiridion-5, for Gaylen!

This was him showing who was in charge, who was in control. His phone went to the messages, founding the one. Leaving it loud, after just one hesitation before pressing.

“-You have: 1, new messages.-”

Silence. For a moment, he thought of a mistake.

“-… huh… hey, it’s me. Again. Almost one minute left, eh… you know what? I'm a coward after all. I like you.-” Only a sigh before the call finished. Too high and relieved to actually be sad.

Right on his screen, Krel saw his reflection. His eyes glowing, happy, astonished, _confused_. He covered his mouth with his hand. Too much. Too much was cursing inside, streaming through every part of him. He couldn’t even see where he was anymore, his vision was a misty picture of darkness. But his core was vivid, crystal clear. And it hurt so much, too chaos and confusion and trembling joy even. Where was he supposed to keep all of this? Where did this belong to? His mind didn’t seem enough. _He_ wasn’t enough.

He wasn’t enough for him after all, was he?

“Little brother.” Her voice was so close, and as startled as the prince was at hearing her, there was no mistaking. His sister heard. His sister knew. And she was there, with such genuine worry and love in her eyes that it made him want to shed tears.

But he was so, so tired at this point. Too much to do anything else but reach her and hug her, feeling embraced so strongly by the warrior.

“Aja?” She hummed, ready to listen. Ready for him. “What… w-what do I do with these feelings?”

The delson was over and he was exhausted. And at the end there was little to no satisfaction left in him. Morando was still out there. There was still a nonfunctional wormhole generator into his lab. And the blonde math he had thought so much about had let him out once again. But just like today, when his first attempt at the laser had generated just a bigger problem, he knew he could rely on her. On Aja’s support, as she held him close.

“It will be okay. Leave it to me.”

Perhaps Krel could still make it happen, hoping he was not the only one struggling like this. And as long as that last message had not been just the rushed lie of a moment of fear.

BONUS

“Let me get this straight.” Steve clapped his hands together, right in front of his nose, gesturing towards his very frustrated friend. “You were freaking out about confessing over the phone but semi-recovered after than, threw at him such a sappy situation kinda successfully, got him to actually like it for some reason, were even on a very promising smoochy point, but instead you… mm, what’s the term again Log?” Steve petted his imaginary beard, sitting next the single-side bed. “I am looking for a oh so sophisticated term that I believe has something to do with a certain animal of the bird class. Do you recall perhaps, my intelligent comrade?”

Logan hummed loudly right next to him, passing a finger on his very pretended mustache. Seeming more and more satisfied as Seamus’ vein grew bigger and bigger on his forehead.

“Indeed I do, Steve my friend. It is a species with white feathers, and an orange beak if I am not mistaken. It is mostly known to hatch eggs, and apparently makes an excellent soup, but maybe you have encountered it in another way, now did you.” He glanced at his math friend, grinning. “So have you heard about this term know as-”

“I _chickened_ out! Are you happy now? I totally chickened out!!” Seamus let himself fall flat over the floor, in front of a very snicker-y audience. There weren’t even crumbles on the carpet, which was both good and bad. Good for his shirt. Bad for his mood.

He felt like he would had deserved crawling in the dirt.

The door was open, and there it was again. That very strong scent of vanilla coming right from the kitchen downstairs. It was penetrating and a little too strong for such a sweet scent, and Seamus’ nerves were already skyrocketing for having to deal with this as well. But telling Logan’s quite intimidating mother that they didn’t need snacks? He already had enough problem with his own mom… well, his awful situation was why he had gathered the gang after all, to deal with it. The moment his friends were going to stop laughing at his misery.

Steve wiped away a little tear, taking a deep breath.

“Okay… pff, okay, I’ll stop. I’m stopping, promise.” Why were they his friends again?

“Glad at least one of us is enjoying this Steven.”

Logan winced snorting.

“Yikes, the full name? Are you actually serious?” Seamus didn’t even have it into him to keep the pout, and all of the sudden his friends’ smiles were gone. “Oh wow, you are serious. You totally wanted to, what happened?”

“I don’t know!!” Seamus whined, grabbing his own hair hard. “I was going for it! I set up everything, my stupid fluorescent stars in my stupid room, the stupid moon lamp and the stupid atmosphere and I swear, he was getting cuter and cuter if that’s even possible!” He grunted, letting his arms fall on the ground. His knuckles hit hard, making him wince. “I wanted to. So much. But then I got this thought and before I knew it…” That cramp into his heart, like he touched a wire. Just the thought was making him tremble right now.

His friends looked at each other. Steve frowned.

“What though-”

“Lou, we need help with the- Oh you got all the squad, cool.” Tanya’s very bored look came into the room, her dark braids embraided with purple pearls waving over her shoulders. “Better even, okay nerd.” She said pointing at Seamus, who huffed. “Wuss.” She declared changing to Logan, who blew a raspberry at her. “And muscles, Steve you’re up, ma’ needs help dragging in her new cabinet. Apparently the last one was interfering with the feng shui and the balance of the universe… she really needs to stop reading manuals for a while.” She pointed with her thumb outside, tapping her foot down.

Steve immediately stood up, showing off his arms.

“Seamus, keep that thing in standby while I save the world downstairs! Time for the power of the Palchuk!!” He ran out of the door without waiting for the girl, who winced hearing the consequential noises of falling and screams – that dude was genetically indestructible to any kind of humiliating fall.

Tanya shook her head, smirking.

“At least I’m not the only one who will stay single for a long time.”

“Sis, Steve does have a girlfriend.”

“You’re kidding.” Logan shook his head. “The guy who thought until third grade that closing his eyes during hide-and-seek was going to make him invisible?? That dude?!?… wait, is she pretty?” The little brother took out his phone, sharing that shot Seamus remembered from gym a while ago: Aja effortlessly carrying Steve bridal style, while the oaf looked absolutely lovestruck. “Oh come on, she is! Why can’t I get a pretty girlfriend or a cute boyfriend without something getting in the way?? Just… ah, I’m out of here, I need chocolate.” She sighed deeply, dragging herself away and slamming the door.

Seamus snorted sadly, putting a hand into his pocket. Krel’s moon bracelet. The more he held onto it, the less he felt like completely losing faith. But the memory of the Cantaloupian’s empty tone as he left his room made him feel to guilty to put it on.

“Preach, sister.”

Logan pointed a box of cookies at him with a glare.

“Oh don’t start with another emo phase, I’m warning you! That chapter is over!” Fair enough, considering the pleasure from burning all those edgy photos – although it was the reason behind the lifetime supply of black shirts in his wardrobe. “Besides, Tanya gets with the weird people, it’s her thing. I wouldn’t compare you blowing it with her latest boyfriend not liking pizza.”

“Whoa, nuts.”

“I know!” Logan took out a chocolate biscuit from the box. “Well, Steve is technically the only one with a significant other here, so maybe waiting for him is not such a bad idea.” The Palchuk was the most knowledgeable of all of them for once. Unprecedent event.

But not having him around was actually a great opportunity. The blonde bit his lip.

“… can I ask you something meanwhile?”

“Sure, what is-”

“Do you think Steve is acting weird, like really weird, especially since he started to get really close to Aja??” Logan blinked at him, snack stuck into his hand. Seamus knew he came out of nowhere, he had even postponed the question many times thinking it was just mild paranoia. But there was no point hiding the doubt anymore, not when it was getting in the way. “And not just him, I… I think Steve, Domzalski and Pepperjack know something. Something big about the Tarrons.” Right now, it was the only obstacle he felt was left between him and Krel. 

Silence. Some pots were bumping from the kitchen downstairs. Then a snicker. Logan threw his head behind. Seriously, why were these his friends?

“Man, you gave me the weirdo creeps! Do it again, please!” He winced at one very convincing death glare. “Oh, you’re for real. Sorry, but that sounds a little…”

“Crazy? I know.”

“I was going to say Pepperjacky, but that works too.” He hummed, munching over the cookie. “Mm, I guess he’s a little distant? Not in a bad sense, he’s like very conscious all of the sudden, just that he seems to pay more attention to what he… says?”

Seamus slammed his hands on the grounds, his friend almost chocked.

“Yes! Exactly! It’s like he’s walking over a mine field, afraid that the moment he talks to much something’s going to blow and reduce him in smithereens!” He clenched his fists. “Same with Domzalski and Pepperjack, they’re crazy attentive about what I know and what I’m told, and I’m sure they have a version to cover up whatever is going on!” Logan snorted again. “You have to believe me, even Krel gets nervous sometimes. I thought he was just shy at first, but it always happens when he talks about himself and… and it’s the same situation. All over again.” He sighed, looking at the bracelet with a frown. “Just like with mom.”

Logan arched an eyebrow.

“What do you mean by- Ooohh, Seam, no, why?? Are you seriously telling me you didn’t kiss Krel because you’re scared he’s lying like your mom did?” Silence. “… _dude_.”

“I know!” Seamus hugged his knees close to his chest. “I know.” His chest felt so heavy.

He had been close. So tenderizing close to him the thought alone was driving him insane. Just the way the Cantaloupian had closed his eyes, clinging onto him while so blindly trustful had stolen his heart. His shady room with his dad downstairs after surviving an asteroid maybe wasn’t the most romantic place for a first kiss – it wasn’t one hundred percent actually, gosh he was hopeless –, yet right there it hadn’t mattered. For him, and maybe for Krel as well. But the suspicious alone, the doubt that there was something bigger hiding behind those brown eyes had been too much. Just too much.

He had been focusing so much on that scene and the kiss that hadn’t happened, it was starting to give him a headache. Along with the usual restless nights because of math exercises and anger, it hadn’t left him with a lucid mind.

In his inner chaos, Logan’s mouth pop almost made him shout.

“You’re a mess. I’m sure you knew already, just a friendly reminder.”

Seamus sighed loudly.

“Just shut up, I don’t need humor right now. I need a way to… end this I guess?” Logan’s eyes became balloons. “Stop with that, I know it’s not fair. It’s so not fair that what happened with mom keeps getting in my way, but how am I supposed to just ignore whatever _Krel_ is keeping from me after I poured my heart out for him?” His name over his lips still felt unreal. And wonderful. “If I don’t wanna risk this to end the same… I have to step away before it gets worse.” The sole thought was so awful, he wanted to push it away. But what else could he do?

Another pop. Louder. Logan had his own way to make people pay attention to him. As irritating as it was, it resonated only to the ones closest to him.

“You remind me of someone right now, let me think about it very loudly. He’s got a family, a decently payed job, puts pride in the wrong things and affection nowhere. He knows what needs to be done, instead of thinking about what he or others want to actually do. Also his son is pushing away a guy that likes him for the angry arrogant space math nerd that he is. Care to guess?”

Seamus had to stop himself from jumping at his throat.

“Don’t you dare play that game with me, I’m nothing like him!!”

“Easy tiger, stay down.”

“I’m not-”

“I said STAY DOWN!!!” The blonde jumped, suddenly on his knees, under his friend’s surprisingly very severe look. “I adore you, you’re my brother from another mother, and I’m not trying to tell you how to deal with your parents or your big fat Cantaloupian crush. But if there’s something I can take from what happened with Lydia, and what got your pretty petty temper, is that it’s not your fault.” Logan cracked a little smile, shrugging with one shoulder. “It’s not, and it’s not Krel’s either. So why do you want to make the both of you unhappy?”

Seamus gaped, looking down at his knees. Flashes of Krel’s beautiful smile, in that little moment in his room that didn’t seem real, felt almost too bright.

“I… I don’t wanna get hurt again.”

“You’ll never know what happens unless you try, that’s a fact. So do what you have to, or do what you wanna do: play safe and get out of your future husband’s life…” Mary had influenced him too much. “… or finally get’cha head in the game like in that one musical.” Logan grinned, pointing a finger gun at him. “And if I know Mr. ‘I won’t give up until I get my A+s back’, the one that gets the work done if he really cares about something or _someone_, I think I know the answer already.” He bit another piece of cookie, waiting, giving him space.

Seamus breathed out, his eyes searching for his phone. What a jerk he was, he didn’t even try to contact Krel again. In his head, there was only space for that big lie. That gigantic unknown secret that was always going to be a wall between them.

… expect it wasn’t. This was what he wanted to believe, what he thought was right. He had stopped because he thought he was going to get hurt again, but what proof did he have? What evidence really? There was this big silence that Seamus didn’t know about, that he wanted to know about. But the moment he was going to put a stop at everything, then every chance was going to be lost. Nothing to discover, nothing to _save_. Nothing.

“I… I don’t want to end things with Krel.” A slow smile started to form on his face. “There might be stuff I still don’t understand, but I’ll get there. He will tell me eventually! For now I just know I want him to- _Oh_. Ah, dang it, I totally rejected the guy I like didn’t I.”

Logan snorted, liking his thumb clean from crumbles.

“Took you long enough. Yeah, it sure seems like it.”

“Why do I always mess everything up?”

“That’s a question that plagues me day and night, dude.” Right there Steve returned, his phone into his hand. “Dude, finally! We’re getting close to the finale of ‘The messy world of Seamus Johnson’, you won’t believe how the main character has sabotaged himself this time!” The math blonde almost didn’t doubt Logan had a secret script to send to a big company – not like his pathetic crush misadventures weren’t entertaining… or his misadventures in general.

Steve was frowning, looking like he didn’t pay much attention to whatever mockery was going on. He extended the phone to the other blonde, looking on the edge of anger.

“It’s Aja. She said she wants to talk to you.”

“What? Why?”

“You know why, you buttsnack!” The jock carelessly threw the phone to his friend, then walked to the bed and dropped on it with crossed arms. “Apparently you’re not the only one in full emo phase right now, so you better fix it pronto!”

Seamus felt his heart skip a beat. He placed his phone to his ear.

“Hello-”

“-YOU SOOLIAN!!!-” That tone was loud enough for the phone not to be on speaker. And worried enough to be clear she was family. “-You better listen to me right now, because I have been training to be a warrior since we have arrived here and there is no place you are able to hide from me!!-” 

The shovel talk from Coach Lawrence’s pupil. He was officially dead meat.

“Look, I promise I-”

“-Promises are feeble words for weaklings! If your intention is acting like a sneaky  Opherus Viper playing with his pray before killing it, then I will bring glorious death to you and to all you hold dear!!!-” Boy, if the Tarrons weren’t all genetically confusing. There was a pause before it continued, like she was asking someone on her side if she was doing good – receiving a vague ‘glorious’ in response. “-So now you have two possibilities, you can either learn a thing or two from my warrior oaf on how to be a great boy-friend…-” Oh Steve did _not_ need an ego buster like that. “-Or your head will be on my serrator before the next moon!!-”

Serrator? Head?!… wait.

“Are you… are you asking me to be a better partner or something? You actually want me to be with Krel?” There was silence, for a moment he thought the call ended.

Then, there was a long sigh.

“-Listen. I do not understand completely what is happening. But I know one thing for sure: Krel has never managed to make friends like this when we were… home.-” She had the same hesitation. The blonde was too caught up to care right now. “-And great Gaylen, I never thought I was going to see him caring about someone like he cares about you. In a way only you can understand.-” Her tone was firm, unmoving. But also kind, soft. There was a deep feeling behind.

Seamus bit his lip. 

“… I do understand.” How could he not?

Aja sighed again, like she was truly worried about the outcome.

“- I hope you are sincere. So what is it going to be, the Seamus Johnson? Are you finally ready to put this local courting ritual to completion?-” Of course she was nervous. After all, whatever was going to be said, she was going to be the mediator. The bird of ill omen, bringing the news of-

Seamus blinked, many times. A cold fear started to crawl into his chest, as it hit him right there. It could be over. All they had built together, those unforgettable moments. The park, the phone calls, the pool party, the dates. And them, getting closer and closer and _warmer_ and closer. It could be all over, just like that. Seamus couldn’t let it happen. No, he _wasn’t_ going to let it happen. So much bothered him, secrets, lies, yet he wanted to face them. With Krel, he did.

He wasn’t going to just let things happening around him, he wasn’t a kid anymore. This time, he was taking charge of it.

“Of course.”

“-What?-”

Seamus swallowed the embarrassment, his heart beating loudly.

“I’m… dang it, I do wanna court your brother!!” Steve actually gasped, beaming, Logan’s smirk grew three sizes. “I know I made a mistake, it’s not the first time and it probably won’t even be the last! But I want to get better, I want to _be_ better for Krel. And I want to let him know how I feel, so… so I will show him.” Suddenly, it was clear. So incredibly clear into his mind. “And I’ll need your help too.” It was coming together so quickly. A plan.

Aja seemed taken back, pondering the situation, exchanging a back and forth with what sounded like her grandpa at the phone.

“-… okay. For Krel.-” She sounded more serene, even cheerful. “-How can I be of assistance?-”

“I have to prepare everything, I’ll call you back.” Seamus threw the phone back at Steve and stood up with his hands on his hips, pointing at the two guys in the room. “Okay listen up, because I’ll be saying this once and never again!” The two exchanged a confused look, nodding warily. “I’m a… uh… I’m a gigantic buttsnack that messes every little good thing that comes into his life, but I’m not letting this one go. There is no easy rebound from this, so I’ll be preparing something big. Something that will speaks louder than me. But I can’t do it on my own, so… will you help me?”

Steve was looking at him like he saw an alien – weird right? –, while Logan was very graciously pinching his own armpit to make sure it was not a dream. He didn’t like admitting he was wrong. Even less in front of his bro crew. But he still had half of a chance to make things right, everything needed to be flawless.

He was a math honorary student, he could make the perfect plan. And he was a future astronaut, he knew how to organize everything in the right place. Just like the stars into his room.

Steve ran to him and trapped his neck under his arm, giving him a noogie.

“I was already convinced at the buttsnack! Tell me everything!”

“If that dude makes you such a softie, I’m definitely down for more of your humiliation.” Logan smirked, his thumb up. That’s why they were his best friends after all. “So, Seam in Space, what do you have in mind? Do we need backup?”

The math blonde finally managed to break free, grinning widely.

“You bet. Steve, call Pepperjack, I know he’s pretty good with atmosphere and stuff. Logan, you recruit Darc and Mare, there is no way I’m doing this without them.”

“On it.”

“Roger that!”

As the two of them excitedly went through their phones, Seamus took a deep breath, going through the numbers of his as well. This could work. No, this _needed_ to work. No more subtitle, no more maybe maybe not. The time for being oblivious was over. He scrolled just a bit, it was between his most recent calls after all. He pressed the device to his ear, wondering if Krel was working on something right now. Was he sad? Was he worried? Was he angry? Did he care after all? Did he care enough to final break that wall, and be just himself in front of him?

No point asking. No point sulking. Not _now_.

“Domzalski, hey… not so great actually, I’ll explain everything but first, do you think we can speed up the lessons a little? I have something in mind.”

Hopefully Krel was still willing to listen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ... some of you probably hate me now ^^"  
I love Asteroid Rage so freaking much, Krel taking charge and having fun at the same time is <3 <3 So yeah, first thing I realized thinking about Kreamus was "Holy cannoli Seamus thinks he's going to die and Krel doesn't know that, that is angst material and IMMA JUMP ON IT". The rest kinda came out per se... I HAVE A PLAN I SWEAR!!!  
So Lydia is my Seamus' mom's name headcanon, and we got a bit more of reveal about her. I hope you're curious about what's behind it and you're up with your theory googles! B) As for Tanya she's kinda my OC background character at this point, and just a little excuse to give Logan a bit more of backstory, all fanon of course! ^3^  
Thank you guys so much for you support, your kudos and your wonderful comments! You really brighten my days!! <3
> 
> That's it from me! Leave a comment, a kudos, a deep-space thermo-radiant pulse laser and 'yes I'm a stunner, I'm a beat lowrider and I'm just banging beats that is so mind-numbing~'  
See ya!! Byee!! ^ ^
> 
> P.S. Let me know if there are errors also OUCH Wizards has been delayed to August (though I'm fine as long as the TOA crew is safe) but YAY we're gonna get a Trollhunters videogame in September!! <3


	8. Chase this odyssey

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Now I'm about to give you my heart  
But remember this one thing  
I've never been in love before  
So you gotta go easy on me  
(Counting on you - Big Time Rush)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys! I hope you're doing okay, wherever you are <3  
It took me a while again, and this is probably the longest chapter I've written until now. I hope it makes up for the wait ^^" Well, no more waiting, here we go with our math dorks! Stuff will happen here...  
Enjoy!! ^ ^

“Attempt 103… is a go!” Krel threw the ball inside the wormhole, looking anxiously at the other side of the time-space gate. “… where…?” No sign of Mr. Happy Ball anywhere, Luug nearby was whimpering in worry. “Urgh, did it get lost again through the moons of Gorbon?? I might had hit Stuart’s ex-girlfriend at least thirty tim- Wait. Wait, wait, I see something!” Something neatly yellow was erupting from the portal, fueling his excitement. It wasn’t in pieces, it wasn’t reduced to smithereens. “It’s working?!? Yes! It’s finally…!! Oh.” The enthusiasm died right away as the ball erupted into one, extremely long noodle, depositing on the floor in a circular pile.

Immersed in the placid and quite rare silence of the control room, during the less bright horvaths of the delson, the prince of Akiridion-5 felt the frustration accumulated enough to make him scream and be heard from his home planet – hyperboles, a silly yet satisfying invention.

Mother’s hologram floated near him. Her gentle light facing him felt annoying, her patience and care unsufferable. Everything, everything was unsufferable right now.

“While I do not think this might be the safest way to get back to Akiridion-5, I believe _this device could still be revolutionary… into Earth food industry for the production of noodles_.” She went around his head, like she was distracting him away from the device. “_That is, looking on the bright side_.” Again she was using that positivity method of the glass and the half empty half full situation – because on that planet apparently they didn’t know how to use a container at full capacity.

Krel grunted, bumping miserably his head against the ledge.

“Everything is equally illuminated in this lab, Mother. Apart for my genius, apparently.” Kleb he was using earthlings’ devilish double meanings. This was just further confirmation that he wasn’t in the rightful state of his mind to complete his project – and he was most likely going completely _peanuts_, as the humans said.

Mother drifted closer to the prototype, irradiating it with the scanner. The monitor of the main panel reacted in response, displaying the digital code and signaling a few red indicators.

“_I have analyzed the newest additions of your current version, alongside the different formulas applied, and I have detected eight different errors_.” The prince growled louder, still with his forehead against the surface, while Luug nudged his legs in a sad yiff. “_… my royal, may I ask a question?_” He waved at her in a low affirmative hum. “_Why have you decided to keep your human appearance even in such a safe environment as this is?_” Mother’s hologram was light, ethereal even, almost like she was truly floating in the air.

Even humans could find _her_ graceful.

Krel slowly stood up, blinking tiredly. Human eyes were surprisingly fast at adapting, but also quite sensible. That slight burn was annoying and frustrating but quite fascinating as well. Even though it reminded him of the latest sleepless nights, between the acquainted fear for the future, the menace of bounty hunters and Kubritz.

And blue ey-

“I am trying to feel more comfortable with it, that is all.” He shook his head, pressing that whimper down his throat. Lately telling lies had become painful, like a pinch in his stomach. “Let’s get back to it. Go through the miscalculations and correct them, I think we are close.” Again, his chest hurt. And he barely even thought about it, it was becoming natural. It was good after all, it made things easier for their cover. It was… good.

Mother stayed still, looking at him through that elegant hologram of hers.

“_It will be done. But I should bring the attention to the fact that you have been working since you came out with the new design._” That could had been a few horvaths as much as several delsons_._ “_Perhaps it would be wiser taking a break_.” The prince gave her a look like she had just cursed – or dropped the fearful f-bomb humans seemed to fear so much – was it a fluorine nuke or something? “_I understand the importance of ultimately completing the wormhole generator, but I’ve been charged with your protection and safety. That includes your wellbeing as well_.”

The prince sighed, tiredly holding the plasma wrench in one hand, and the useless agglomerate of science and failures that he liked to call prototype in the other. 

“I am fine, correct the mistakes please.”

“_I must insist, you should stop working for a while_.”

“I said- Hey, give me that!” Luug drooled all over the wrench he had just snatched, his barfs muffled. Krel grunted, pointing a finger at him. “Give it back Luug, right now!” A few happy jumps followed, no sign of giving up. “I said now!!” The saliva possibly doubled all over the metal. 

Then his pet gave him that look. _That_ look. And from the wide range of horrible things that could had happened, from his lab getting filled by one massive Luug fart, all the way to his dog laser peeing over his precious projects, it happened that his wrench disappeared into the mouth of the animal in one gulp. Silence followed. Somehow the pet he and his sister had ever since they were children was less obedient than the imprisoned spider-like giant lifeform they had befriended in a terrestrial military base – for being a huge and scary creature with sharp claws and a strident roar, Buster was surprisingly adorable.

Krel stared at an innocent looking Luug. He brought two hands on his face. And sighed.

“Back to the design project, then.” Good luck was not on his side that day, either he was going to encounter a stream of incredible fortune the next delsons or Gaylen didn’t like him. It were the only conclusions he could come up with right now.

“_My royal,_ _a break would be beneficial. To get out of the lab and breath some air at the very least_.”

“There is the same kind of oxygen here as there is outside.” He had heard that expression before actually, but for once he decided to… play dumb? Was that the name? Urgh, denigrating. “All kinds of efforts might prove to be useful, not matter how small, so I cannot stop.” He went to the ledge, involuntarily hitting it, going through the panels between the many tools accumulated. “I can perfection the model, work on the program or perhaps simply rectify how to-” He hit the ledge again, realizing, turning all of the sudden for fear of shifting some fundamental balances.

Another bump, and that flipped the ledge loudly, dumping everything on the floor.

The almost impalpable sounds of the energy pulsing through the walls was the only sound around them, as the prince’s eyes fell slowly on the ground, through all the mess. They stayed, confused, taken back even. Then the knees followed, and he found himself on the ground, taking a cracked breath before letting out a sob.

Mother floated closer, turning over herself with a frantic rhythm.

“_Is everything alright?_”

“… no… no, everything is not alright! Everything is the opposite of alright, is _none-left_! It is absolutely wrong!!” Krel grabbed his hair. A gesture he had seen too many times before, from the last person he needed to think about right now. “I can’t do anything! I am being absolutely useless! And worse, the moment I stop doing something, it all comes back together and it… it is bad. It makes me feel bad, so bad I don’t wanna keep working.” He rubbed his arms, suddenly cold, suddenly frozen. “… Mother, what is wrong with me?”

The drop-shaped hologram got closer, gently brushing his cheek. As inconsistent as it was, it still felt like the littlest caress.

“_Nothing is wrong with you. It is just a bad moment_.”

“But I don’t feel like inventing, that is what I like to do! Is what I _have_ to do! It makes me feel good, and now I don’t want to do it!” He hugged himself, looking down. “Am I sick? Injured? Worse?” Nothing of that felt right, yet his entire body felt aflame. “Or is it another… stupid, human thing?” Like saying out loud had just made it real.

Thinking that after working on the deep-space thermo-radiant pulse laser he had felt so confident, trying firsthand a few old tricks from spaceships of old generations had proven to be useful. He knew more techniques. He knew more strategies. He had never managed to feel this engaged before on his highly advanced planet, where everything was functional and had been perfectly calibrated for centuries. Experiencing the so called ‘basics’ in such a frenetic and intense way had challenged him, it was something he knew he could had pulled off with no doubt. That type of confidence he had only regarding this, his own field, his own world. Not fighting, not ruling, this.

What happened to that energy? That determination? That… will?

“_May I take I guess?_” Even if he wanted to, the prince didn’t have it in him the strength to say no. “_I believe it might have something to do with your deviation after the successful mission at Area 49-B. You have not been acting quite the same ever since then._” Great Gaylen, sometimes having an extremely advanced processor as an advisor was too easy. And unsettling. There was no need for an answer after all, was there? 

“… Mother?”

“_Yes, my royal?_”

“Can _I_ ask a question to you?”

“_But of course, I would gladly provide an answer_.”

Krel sighed and started to tiredly pick up the items on the floor. There was no will into his arms, his weak grip let a few laser pointers slip to the ground. How little he cared was unbelievable.

“You are an advanced artificial intelligence created by superior minds coming from Akiridion-5, and you have spent most of our permanence here studying the humans’ behavior with the accuracy of the computer you are.” Krel swallowed, feeling the littlest chill. It had become cold, ever since that moment. “You must be quite the expert regarding how the earthlings think and act, you probably are aware of possible… motivations, as well.”

Mother floated a little closer to him.

“_All you have said is correct, yes_.”

“Well then, why would…” He took a deep breath, holding the tools close to his chest. “What do you think of a human who harbors feelings for another, then push away said interest with the harshness of a member of the Zeron Brotherhood without explanation?”

“_… I believe the ideal term would be ‘jerk’, but I doubt this response pleases you_.” Again, superior intellect right there. “_Well then, if there is something I believe I have learned through my research regarding humans culture, is that people are so much driven by emotions they are prone to make mistakes._ _But such miscalculations aren’t always and solely founded on bad intentions, sometimes it is all about problems at communicating… or a lack of communication altogether_.” Again, as sharp as a computer could be. With just a bit of missing data.

Because Seamus wasn’t a jerk, he was just… angry. Moody. Complicated. Tiring sometimes. Was this the peak after all? His last, furious outbreak?

Krel placed all of the items on the table, sighing.

“He never tried to contact me after that. Not even once.”

“_Have you?_”

“Why would I be the one to reach out? I am not the one that got…” He went silent, looking down. “I have no obligation regarding the situation. It is solely up to him.” He bit his lip and took a look at the phone left unmoving on the table, uselessly hopeful to see a light. “And it seems that he is not that eager to meet me again.”

There had been no message, no call, no voice whatsoever. Not even one of those annoying virtual faces Mary seemed to worship so much, just plain void. Their online conversation was blocked to some old mindless discussion between the two of them, before asteroid threatened to hit Arcadia – “Perhaps these numbers at the corners are meant to form a bigger formula carefully hidden?” “Dude, those are the numbers of the pages!” “You people are truly this forgetful?” –, before all that mess. And that was it. That was… that was it?

Mother retracted, getting closer to the panel still analyzing. Seemingly distracted with her work, like she had dropped the subject, but the prince knew better. She could work on multiple cases effortlessly, it was another feature – another surprise that somehow came with being Mother.

“_Alright, I respect your decision. No matter how irrational it is_.”

“This passive-aggressive option in your programming is taking too many liberties.”

“_Very well, may I express a more straightforward opinion? One that is not lead by any kind of secondary way of speaking?_” Better than dealing with human’s controversy. The prince nodded, Mother turned to him. “_To me, you are very willing to reach for this human, and wish he was actively trying to contact you. Even so, at the same time, you do not desire this, as you have not tried to call him. Almost as you were afraid of further steps… or a closer bond._”

The digital tapping of the panel interrupted the silent, marking an imaginary timing that could had been faster or slower than the actual one. Krel blinked, looking down at Luug who whined, purring affectionately towards him.

A closer bond. A _trustworthy_ bond.

“… Mother, please resume working on a formula to counter both the spaghettification and the recent cannon effect of the device.” Attempt 83 got him to practice dodging – perhaps it could be sold to the school, for Coach Lawrence’s glee. “While I should… uhm, follow your suggestion.” He didn’t even need Aja to voice the craziness of this. This was so wrong, like he was running away from a bothering problem. And this was not, engineering was his ambition, it was who he was. Resting from passion? What was that?

Mother spinned fast, like she was delighted.

“_I believe it is a very wise choice my royal, your emotional state will benefit from it_.” Right, clearly. Because it was from humans’ emotional sphere that all problems had always came. “_Perhaps you could have a snack or play a videogame… although for some reason my program insists on you getting some air or finishing your homework. Peculiar_.” No questions to ask, it was about motherhood after all.

Krel moved a few steps towards the door, distractively grabbing his phone, then stopped right away. It felt so wrong, he was needed here!

“Mothe-”

“_Everything will be here right where you left it. Inspiration is a free stream after all, you should wait for what is to come._” Her hologram tilted, like she was smiling. “_Also,_ _a quite wise human once said that the brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear. I think it is quite fitting in your case._” Her research regarding Earth culture seemed to impassion her more and more after every delson. It was debatable how exactly an AI could truly show thrill regarding knowledge, or even feel it. But it had been a long while since he had considered Mother anything less than advanced. And real.

Humans were surprisingly. They were smart, resourceful, and even quite worth having a closer study to. The prince wished he could see it like this, like a science project with unknowns and exciting development, a new and never analyzed before branch of discipline to discover. But he was far too involved to even hope for it.

“I’ll see what I- Luug, stop doing that!” His pet froze, although his thousands of teeth were already tight around the plasma torch forgotten on the floor. “Don’t even… ah, Luug.” There it went just another meaningful tool for his wormhole, most likely to return in a few horvaths… fligshaag.

Krel rolled his eyes, checked one last time the falling apart prototype – cringing internally quite strongly – and finally went for the door. His pet immediately followed him, almost running him over, like he was just waiting for the door to be open. No more intention on chewing on his tools – just a lot of saliva everywhere, Seklos helped him. He frowned, turning to Mother who immediately looked away towards the main panel. 

The door closed behind them as he went forward, getting through the corridors of the Mothership with his pet by his side. Even with those happy barfs and his sighs of failure, it was silent around them. Scarily quiet when their well-known warriors weren’t around messing everything. Zadra was trying to contact Izita on her own intergalactical walkie-talkie – for reasons non related to the mission apparently? What was wrong with their lieutenant? –, Aja had gone somewhere with Steve – giggling in her brother’s direction, he really didn’t understand her sometimes – and Varvatos had been rambling of ‘training’ and ‘glorious’ and something about ‘surviving love’s grasp as it rips Varvatos’ heart limb from slimy limb’… that had made him feel weird out and sympathetic at the same for some reason.

It was stupid missing the noise, especially after wishing the peace for so long. But right now there was too much space. Too much time to think, about things he didn’t want to recall. 

The prince looked down at his legs… his human legs, actually. It had been a while since he had gotten used to that sight, the skinny non glowing form of his protuberans. It wasn’t exactly him, but it _was_ still him. Weirdly enough, it was reassuring.

The chamber of the regeneration caught his attention. On Earth apparently it was custom asking to a parental figure about these specific feelings. He couldn’t even lose himself into the umpteenth critics regarding insane terrestrial culture, as he didn’t have the Akiridion equivalent to consider. How could he know how it worked on Akiridion-5? He never had to ask this kind of questions before to his parents. Never had a reason to. What would they think about this? About _him_? Things had changed so much since they were all safe together.

Krel swallowed, his throat felt tight and his arms cold. He tried to hug himself as he went on, the buzzing of the pods keeping the King and Queen alive whistling into his head. His feet brought him back to the living room without him noticing, exiting the portal the same way with Luug by his side.

He almost had a core-attack right there.

Lucy was grinning even more creepily than usual, head dramatically tilted on one side – that exaggerated inclination would had seemed very painful on any other normal human.

“Finally! It took you forever to finish your homework, darling! You aren’t even dressed properly, don’t you wanna look absolutely handsome for tonight?” She put her hands over his face, messing it up quite forcefully – robot strength, ouch. “Even though you’re already so incredibly cute! You make me wanna eat you up!” That was just a human expression, right? Why had nobody warned him about the eventuality of cannibalism on this planet??

Krel winced away from her solid grasp, frowning as Dadblank joined his wife in the joyful picture – would had looked incredibly human, wasn’t for the purple dog digesting his wrench in the corner.

“What in Gaylen’s core are you talking about?”

“Gosh golly, don’t you tell me you haven’t noticed! Here, let me help you expand your horizons!” Ricky snickered in his own, very obnoxious way, forcefully grabbing his head to turn it around. Lucy moved away, finally giving him a view of the living room.

The prince already had his hands raised to try – and probably fail – to push him away. Any protest died into his throat when he, in fact, _did_ notice.

A majestic looking composition of flowers. The dead plants that were somehow so popular on Earth, the ones that had been given to him already before; a whole bunch of them was towering in the middle of the kitchen’s counter. The sight of the familiar purple fluorescence, brightening the sight of his house, melted his core. He ran towards it, almost afraid it was going to disappear any sekton, gently brushing the petals. Fresh, delicate. From the transparent vase, there were still roots attached to it. Alive, at last.

He couldn’t help but smile, his eyes dwelling on the white flowers that accompanied the familiar irises: they resembled clear clouds of petals, softly looking. Hiding a little note underneath the crossing of their stems.

A message. At last, the silence was broken.

He opened it with trembling fingers, hope and fear confusingly mixed enough to let him ignore his pride. And how much he had wished for this.

_ Flowers don’t talk, so I will _

_ I’m sorry _

_ No more excuses, no more maybes _

_ Just the truth this time _

_ Please give me the chance to show you that I’m for real _

The calligraphy. He saw it only a couple of times before, yet it seemed unmistakable to him. So clear and precise and even a little too calculated. The style of someone that had spent an unnatural amount of time behind math problems and stress. Someone so focused, so determinate, it almost came to a fault. Yet it made his entire endearing being.

Krel swallowed, turning to his fake parents.

“Who is this from?” Even as he knew. “When did it come?” Even if he knew it was late.

“Oh, your friends brought it, honey! Those two dolls, adorable girls, they came along and delivered. They even said they were going to prepare you a surprise in your room… oh, silly me, I ruined it!” Lucy hit her head with her fist, dramatically wiggling her neck – although it seemed quite the legit punch, great, like he needed more stuff to fix.

Flowers, girls, surprise, _chance_. Why could he never find something easy to deal with? Something simple to solve, delson after delson trying to break the laws of physics. No, of course not, he needed to uncover this mystery too! So Mary and Darci came here? To deliver for Seamus? Why not him? Was he too scared to do it? Or worried about his reaction? Why did Mother let them in and, worse, even inside his room? Did she even _try_ to vaporize them? The air didn’t smell like vaporization, why did it not smell like vaporization?? Why was this getting out of hand and why were Lucy and Riky’s unmoving smiles still fixed on his note like he had missed some-

The prince froze. The paper was thin enough to let him see the trace on the other side. He hesitated, looking at the flowers like now, now of all the times, they were finally going to uncover the truth behind that language of theirs. And tell him the truth, about all of this. About him.

He turned the note.

_ 19-5-5 25-15-21 1-20 20-8-5 16-12-1-14-5-20-1-18-9-21-13 _

For a moment, he felt numb. Then a snort came out. Ah, the sneakiness of this math blonde truly knew no boundary! That familiar challenging feeling was back, backing up by just the slightest echo of warmth that was him. Truly him. And if Seamus was really leaving him this opening, this way to get in, he wanted to know.

He wanted to listen. His mind was set. Beautifully focused, finally.

“… I am going to my room.” Those enthusiastic metallic grins followed him all the way, until he finally managed to get there and close the door behind him.

When he looked up, in the calculated space of his chamber, it was immediately evident the mess over his bed, that annoyed him only until he noticed they were clothes. Nice clothes. A long white dress shirt with long sleeves, shining crystal buttons and two pockets on the chest. Right underneath, a pair of large black trousers perfectly ironed with just a sewed in and a soft material for the waistline, almost lucid at sight. And right next to the bed, at last, a pair of black shoes in an extremely lucid leather.

Everything looked so out of place, the prince couldn’t move for a moment. It looked nice, at least for his extremely naïve eye regarding fashion. Considering how the girls and their quite devious minds seemed to be involved – people were getting the extremely annoying habit of knowing more than him lately –, perhaps he just needed to play along, to see where it was going to bring him.

It usually worked with Seamus.

He took out his serrator, went on the control panel, pointed a scanner ray over the clothes and worked on just a bit of programming. His transduction changed in a shower of pixels around him, and all of the sudden those black pants were covering his legs, getting larger close to the shoes. The dress shirt embraced his torso, going a little long over his waist and tighter on his waist. He put his weapon on the nightstand and took his time to look at the appearance, giving it one skeptical look – changes, appearances, why was this such an obsession here? Then he thought about bright magnetic blue eyes at their first date and nodded shyly to himself.

It was out of the ordinary, and even a little pressuring, like wearing the mighty armor of a member of the Taylon Phalanx. But he didn’t necessarily dislike it. He even seemed to pass humans’ standards of beauty judging from Lucy’s glowing eyes- _When did she enter??_

“My, I didn’t think you could get even prettier!” The Blank smiled then pouted, so suddenly it seemed the emotion was slapped off her face. “But it could be more… hang on, sweetie.”

“Hey, what are you…??”

Krel froze as soon as that gentle touch got lost between his hair. Right, she was programmed to be a mother. The soft and nostalgic feeling bursting through his core should had not felt this intense, nor this surprising. The only shock should had been that somehow a robot possessed information regarding terrestrial motherhood that were quite close to the Akiridion version. It was both confusing and comforting somehow.

Thinking that such emotion had been missing from Seamus’ life for so long… it made him mad. Not sad, _mad_.

He felt the chill air on his neck, and his hair were left trapped around an elastic ring. Lucy made sure the tail was nice and loose before clapping her hands together in glee.

“Absolutely perfect! You’ll knock him dead, honey!”

Not exactly his intention, but he smiled nonetheless.

“Thanks.” He quickly ensured he had his phone then exited his room, stubbornly faced once again by the couple. “Huh… you can leave now.” Not a blink. If they had possessed this kind of surveillance back at home Aja would have not been able to escape as much as she did… possibly – or she would had doubled the robotic components at disposal for his experiments every time.

Pure awkward silence for a full sekton. Then Ricky looked at his watch and gasped loudly.

“Holy moly, it’s really late, gotta jet!” He grabbed him by the arm, almost ripping it off from his body. “Time is money, money is not an option, oooooopt for the best when you wanna save your money! Don’t spend, just bend!” He stood, shaking his head, resuming then into his dragging motion with no effort showing, almost as he was moving a slightly heavy purse instead of a young Akiridion prince – he really wished being as light and menacing as a baby larvox didn’t weight this much on his self-esteem.

Right in front of the door the prince was dragged, then blinded with the flash of a camera – that came out of nowhere, parental instincts on Earth were scary. Only after shaking away the sparkles he witnessed the Blanks in front of him – again –, blocking the way of whatever rethought he might had had.

… there was none. Lucy opened the door while Ricky gave him a light punch on the shoulder – as light as a crack sound of his arm could indicate.

“Come on, out you go and don’t come back late! Or you might find out your mother and I have turned your room into a scrapbooking room!” They both laughed hysterically, shaking their heads as they got close to each other in that studied pose – perhaps he understood better Senor Uhl’s exasperation during their meeting the first day of school. “Oh, we’re such a couple of naughty troublemakers, just have fun my boy! And don’t do anything we wouldn’t do!”

“I believe there are several things I couldn’t do that you-” All of the sudden he was pushed outside, quick to grab something that was thrown at him, witnessing the door slamming on his face.

Krel stood there, blinking, the chill air of the night pinching his arms. He looked down at his still tight grip, seeing the compact form of Aja’s hoverboard. This was starting to suspiciously look like a premeditated plan, between his Mother’s insistence, the uneasy behavior of his fake parents, and his sister purposely leaving her beloved vehicle in the Blanks’ not quite dependable hands. The dark hour and the unknown situation were worrying unknowns too.

He thought about the note, the obvious solution. Another escape. Was this how Aja had always felt running away back at home? It was thrilling. But perhaps only because he was looking forward to something… to someone.

He hopped over the hoverboard, mentally thanked his free-spirited sister, and entered the road. It was late, a stream of fading stars mirrored the road he was following, so familiarly looking while still being enveloped in this sudden mist of new. It felt different from usual, and it wasn’t like he had not gotten out before without the sake of his planet as his only thought in mind. But all the recognizable places passing by seemed unusual, floating even, as they were so unbelievably unimportant right now. He was speeding up on a path that excluded everything else, it had nothing in it but him, the road he was following, and his mysterious destination.

Even the usual secondary alleys they always took during missions felt foreign. Somehow trying to deal with the insecurity from whatever was meant to happen than night felt much more pressing than trying to keep a low profile. Or finding an explanation behind their little marvel of mobile technology. Not like that was particularly hard – “Man, Europe gets all the cool tech first!” –, but the less lies they had to spread around as a cover the better.

Just in case it backfired. Just in case…

The prince shook his head, leaning forward to get faster. Today his thoughts were getting extremely annoying, reminders and obligations that he didn’t want to address. Not now, just… not now.

The park was empty, the atmosphere was lonely and serene. The perfect hour, but his destination wasn’t particularly close to the center. Instead it brought him to another zone, different from the one he was used to but still familiarly genuine. He hadn’t been there ever since the fiasco at the Science Fair, that always got him a little headache whenever he thought too much about it – how did humans called it, _D’Aja vu_ or something? Right now it felt unusual. Because no matter the situation, no matter the _person_, he had no idea what was going to happen.

When his eyes caught sight of the big statue, with that anonymous planet and the casual planetary ring system around it – the lack of details in terrestrial astronomic representation was almost blasphemous –, for the first time he questioned himself. And his rushed decision.

The windows weren’t projecting any light, even though there was usually not much illumination to begin with. It could or it could not be completely empty and quite misery inducing. It could or it could not be hiding the guy the heir of Akiridion-5 had been thinking about so much about lately. The parking lot was silent around him, and again the supposedly peaceful atmosphere got to his nerves instead. Like Arcadia had turned into an invisible city in which only he was present, and all of the other humans had been taken away. The thought startled him and he hurriedly shook it away, marching towards the place. Ridiculous. Who cared anyway?

The building felt menacingly huge. The door opened easily, someone had to be inside… or there was a break in… or both, it could be both really – almost dying so many times perhaps got him to be a little paranoid. He walked under the pulsing lights of the corridors, seeing himself going through the same path before, with his classmates around. It never felt like this, barely an experience back then.

Now his temples were pulsing, his throat was dry, his hands were shivering. His mind was full, asking, again and again, if this was going to end up well.

Then the atmosphere changed all around him. The darkness became dimmed, attractive, not quite like the absolute black that was obscurity on Earth. There seemed to be a certain glow coming from the main hall of the planetarium, the one where the Science Fair took place, and the more he got closer the more Krel realized his surroundings were expanding covers of light. But not just any type of. Tenue lights, vibrating tones. Darkness and glows perfectly balanced. Krel gasped, a smile coloring his face as he entered.

It never felt this far and close, Akiridion-5.

The planetary compositions in the middle of the area was switched off, and the railing covered in phosphorescent rope immediately caught the eye; it looked like there was a never-ending bar of energy pressing against the metal. There were some light projectors carefully positioned on the ground, to draw and move light blue circles on the ceiling and the walls; floating around there were a bunch of balloons gently fluorescent, reflecting slightly the glows scattered around. And on those same walls, disseminated in the area yet with a certain coherency, were the florescent stars from Seamus’ room, accentuated by a bigger outline made with phosphorescent paint – along with some writings, ‘The Palchuk was here’ and ‘Logs out’.

It was a goofy handwork. Clearly made by hasty hands and, most importantly, humans. Yet…

“Seklos and Gaylen.” It seemed so worth it. Worth all of it.

“… wow.” Covered in the familiar blue light, with that same endearing smile and devotion in his eyes that the prince wanted unreasonably just for himself, there he was. The – second – best math student of Arcadia Oaks. “I, uhm, I was trying to think about something cool to say, but with you looking this good I kinda feel stupid now. So… what’s up, eh.” He knew exactly what was up, the sneaky genius. Grinning more and more widely comfortably as the silence continued.

How dare he, with the perfectly stirred black button up shirt, the details on the collar and the shoulders in stoned meshes framing his figure? How dare he with the shade of black and dark gray on the loose pants and the combed hair, so unusual yet so visibly pleasing? How dare he, with the moon rock bracelet Krel had gifted him hanging on his wrist? How dare he…? _He_…!

The prince swallowed, looking at the suddenly very interesting floor. Careful steps approached him, entering his vision. Kleb, even his shoes looked splendid, what was happening??

“… ah, the, the ceiling. The ceiling up.”

A soft laugh. How he had missed that sound.

“Fair enough… you look beautiful.” Seamus sounded breathless, almost as he wanted the other to get closer just to hear. “I knew I could count on Mary and Darci for the clothes, but this is kind of ridiculous. I mean, you’re always beautiful, but especially tonight. Heh.” He scratched his neck as they finally crossed eyes. Never before that blue had been this vivid. And unsure. And terrified, really. Still with that soft, even shy smile on his face, his face brightened of lights inspired by a faraway place.

Praises on his intellect had always been appropriate and well received on the prince, this attention on his mere appearance felt different. Not unpleasant. Very not unpleasant.

Krel quietly cleared his voice, frantically focusing on one balloon that had bounced softly against a poster. It felt like they were walking onto a planet built on a gigantic volcano, ready to explode any moment if they got to close. His core was both dreading and looking forward to it.

“Well… I think you are quite good-looking yourself.” The blonde bit down a grin. The warmth was back. “What is the meaning of all of this?”

“You don’t like it?”

“I do like it, it is just a very surprising sight. I mean, the atmosphere, and the lights, it is all a bit… kinda like… uhm…” He stalled for a few sektons, fidgeting quietly with his fingers. Lost at remembering what they had shared, and at what point. “… it is a familiar sight, kind of.”

Luckily Seamus beamed at him – _cute_ –, sighing loudly.

“Thank goodness, I wasn’t really sure since I know Cantaloupia is some sort of island, and Steve told me once that it had a desert clime or something? But when I asked Aja she insisted, so here we are.” His sister, of course. Only surprise was that she had not tried to push the prince to run away from home before this. “I can’t take the credit though, Pepperjack is really good with creepy- I mean, suggestive lights. Also Steve and Logan helped some.” For some reason, Krel didn’t doubt it. The blonde oaf was a helpful guy. “I guess you have a lot of discos or something.”

The sacred energy pulsing from Akiridion-5 here was associated with a mere music building with extremely loud frequencies?… Earth was getting his approval more and more.

The prince followed a light with the eyes, feeling the slightest pinch of nostalgia into his chest. It barely resembled it, but he could not help but think about home, the palace. It was usually easier thinking about home as their entire planet, considering how far they were. But in the simplicity that his tired mind wanted to reach right now, after an exhausting delson of intellectual failure, the quietness of their house seemed much more affable.

“It is beautiful. You must’ve worked quite hard for this, the decoration, even the crypted invite…”

“Not at… ah…” Seamus hid a gigantic yawn behind his palm, shaking his head. “Not at all, sorry, got the latest shift and… ah, doesn’t matter really!” Right, he worked here. Was he going to encounter problems for this? Was a party allowed?… did he do this just for him? “As for the message… it was kinda to get you engaged. Figured you weren’t going to be thrilled at the idea of listening to me, no matter the way or the place.” He scratched his cheek, and it was somehow clear. Evident even, and the frustration behind all the time spent checking his unmoving phone again and again melted right away. Because apparently, on the other side, a not less shameful scenario had taken place without him knowing.

Krel snorted loudly, because truly, if they weren’t both so brilliant yet lost cases at the same time. If they weren’t two quite similar individuals, that had somehow managed to meet.

“I cannot believe you have wasted your potential over such a silly motivation, and not even with a challenging enigma.” He crossed his arms, aware that the corner of his mouth was twitching too much for the blonde not to notice. “I am here, that’s all that matters… I would have come anyway.” It felt good, saying the right thing. It was so hard at first. It still was. With him, not as much.

Seamus breathed out, softly, like he had been underwater until then.

“Thank you. Alright, I think we can start.”

“Start what?” The blonde grinned, that satisfied smirk from whenever he had a specific idea. Like he had been expecting that one precise question for all of this time.

He got to the closest table, the only one occupied by a boombox. He turned only to show a little tape between his two fingers, winking – _kleb_. It was labelled ‘N. Domzalski-Rumba-Mix’, giving away what contribute Toby might had given to the night. As soon as the tape was in and the device on, a consistent beat took form in the air, floating between the lights and the decoration around. It was vibrant, playful, rhythmic. Different from the vintage he was used to, it was itchy, but in a surprisingly good way. Like it was begging him to move.

Seamus went back to him, still wearing that happy grin. He took a deep breath, then bowed, with a hand extended towards the prince.

“May I have this dance, your majesty?”

Great Gaylen. For one unbelievable sekton, Krel truly thought he was back at Akiridion-5. Back to one of the royal court galas his parents used to organize, to celebrate their home as much as the citizens. And it was absurd, because nobody had ever asked him to dance back then. Since he was a prince and his status seemed too high. Since he was not very athletic, and Akiridion dances were a show of strength – the only part that Aja loved about such royal occurrences. And since he was prince Krel, tech wiz extraordinaire. The genius, the one of a kind. So over other’s intellect, so superior. Why waste time when there was no comparison? Like he was too intelligent to be engaged. Too weird to be asked to. Too… too…

Krel blinked, once, twice. Seamus’ was still there, still leaning in that graceful pose, his hand shaking just a little for effort. A little for the doubt. And it made him smile, too much, because there was not a soul. Not Aja stealing the attention with her amazing skills, no better choices around, no one else. Yet when he gave his hand in return, he felt like he was the only one that mattered.

“You may.” Right away the prince found himself closer, their chests brushing, Seamus’ hand on his hip and the other firm around his palm. “W-what, huh, I have never danced like this…!” He held his breath, still, statuary, trembling hand on a taller shoulder.

Seamus snorted, their eyes crossed once again. That night they seemed to naturally gravitate towards each other, like there was no other place they could point at.

“So there is at least one thing you’re not an expert about, that’s interesting.” His ineptitude seemed to amuse him greatly. It would had earned him a solid glare if only the prince hadn’t felt this exposed. This fragile, into his arms, in front of his tender laugh. “Don’t worry.” In presence of his full understanding, as he wanted to care of him. “Just feel the music, and follow me.” The blonde placed a step, moving his hips with the music.

It could be nice. It was nice. Krel took a deep breath. And complied.

In front of his very first meeting with Earth music, the prince had felt impossibly captured by it, unable to resist the enchanting rhythm and the beat’s intriguing spell. It had been pure instinct, his body had started to move way before his mind could even comprehend what was happening. The moment he had first attempted to dance, becoming one with the mysterious Earth music, he had been unable to stop. And so he never did, every time there was something rhythmic around. Tapping his fingers, bobbing his head, even getting absolutely funky in the teen center Jim, Toby and Claire had showed them that one time – he still needed to ask Toby about that one, after a while on Earth human bones at a party didn’t seem exactly glamour. It had shaped his new life on this planet, a different approach at everything.

This was no different, yet it somehow was. When he finally managed to place his feet down in synch with the beat, it didn’t feel as vibrating as before. This wasn’t a pure ‘guts’ kind of music, the one he was attracted to so much. It was bouncing, rapid while still being gentle, creating a floating space around them just to be placed into the cosmos.

Seamus smiled as their steps became more and more similar, suddenly raising his hand so the prince had to pass under his arm. It was so fast he barely noticed. And just as subtly a grin came onto his face as well. At some point they were connected to each other by one hand only, moving with the music, forward and backwards complementary to each other. There was no boundary around them anymore, they were free to do whatever they wanted. Stepping close, stepping further, stepping really _really_ close. Enough for the blonde to circle his waist with one arm and make him spin just a little, making him laugh.

It filled the room, the sweet noise of their steps and their giggles.

When the song repeated itself, the end was clear. So Seamus took the lead once again, moved a few times with that big smirk on his face. Then he held him by the back and dipped him, finish just a few sekton too soon in comparison with the music. Looking like he had stopped paying attention to the sound a long while ago.

Krel was panting, holding for his life onto his shoulder, too flushed and caught up to realize how much this felt good. How much this felt _right_.

“… not… not bad.” His voice was breathless.

Seamus snickered, soft in every possible way.

“Pretty big comment, coming from you.” He stared into his eyes, long, without caring about how their position was deeply uncomfortable, or how he seemed to struggle a little to stay in that pose. He quickly put the prince back on his feet, holding him close a few more sektons. If there was one proof that humans were absolutely dominated by feelings, that one was Seamus. And while there was no way to forget the blonde for his furious driven self, his core knew better. There were so many sides of this person that Krel treasured.

Out of the blue the blonde let out a relieved laugh – sweet –, then suddenly let go of him, turning around. Getting awa-

Krel did not ask his hand to grab the math blonde’s shirt all of the sudden. 

“Don’t stop.” And he most importantly did not order to his mouth to open. Shame. Embarrassment. Uneasiness. One could not even think about try and live on Earth without expecting to experience at least a few of them – or all of them chaotically mixed up like one crazy milk-_wiggle_, in his case. Still, those were not the only feelings this mudball had to offer. Even some quite worthwhile ones.

Seamus widened his eyes. Then he smirked, placing a hand on his hold.

“Just changing the music.” He eased the grip and kissed his hand, going then back to the boombox under the prince’s unmoving stare. A slower, less rhythmic and sweeter music took place, and it seemed like they were floating somewhere else. The blonde happily returned, holding Krel in the same way, but in a slow and delicate dance. “I’m gonna guess you liked my little surprise… even though what I’ve learned in weeks took you like five minutes.” That sounded like quite the exasperated laugh. It did give him a little bit of pride though.

So dance was… taught? He could hardly understand the implication of fully impart such an instinctive discipline. The prince hummed, his body completely captured by the gentle flow the blonde was making him follow.

“I did not know you were taking dance lessons. For what reason?”

“Uhm, you?” Krel blinked, Seamus blushed. Perhaps words had escaped his mouth without permission too. Yet he didn’t look regretful. “W-well, we kinda always compete about stuff, and you basically ace whatever you do without a sweat.” Could his core stop feeling this soft and let the human finish?? “So I can take at least this one as my own thing, for you. Just for you.” He moved around the place, bring him along, smiling unsurely. “Is it… is it good?”

Krel stared at him, speechless for a sekton, his feet so steady on the ground all he was focusing on was this. Their proximity. Their eyes. Their feelings. He looked down, smiling shyly.

“It is good. It’s… it’s very good.” Their slow pace was hypnotizing. “I enjoyed the flowers.”

“You mean the vegetal corpses I send you?” Those words were truthful, but somehow the way he said it made the prince laugh. “Logan’s mom made that bouquet, she owns the town’s flowers shop, Bella’s, it’s in the center. She gave a hand to Darcy and Mary at choosing your clothes, she’s… she’s a cool mom.” Again he let him go under his arm bridge, with no rush, his eyes distant. For once though, he didn’t seem that hard to reach.

The prince nodded, letting himself go with the movement. Seamus’ hands were positioned with confidence, precision, like he indeed had been practicing quite a lot. Then the flowers, the clothes, this place. For him. All for him.

“I really liked them.” He smiled. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome, it was… huh…” Seamus looked away and pressed a wide yawn against his own shoulder. “Ah, sorry, what was I… it was nothing, yeah.” He kept smiling, even though his eyes seemed more narrowed than before. Right, humans tended to have very evident physical details when tired, another annoying organic reaction. There were black traces under his eyes, and his eyelids seemed a bit swollen.

Dance lessons, an action team to prepare everything, all together in the organization of an A+ student. Had rest been included in such schedule?

“Are you okay?”

“Fine, totally fine!” Seamus shook his head, grinning as widely as he could. “Just a bit of sleep deprivation, but I’ve been used to that since I started high school. Honorary students gotta work hard like that.” That didn’t seem right at all, but then the blonde dared to scoot closer, and every objection died right away. “Besides, this is supposed to be the best day of your life. Don’t you dare think about anything that is not having a good time.” They stayed like that, barely an inch from each other. Staying. Sharing.

It was always like this. Whenever the prince was with him everything, from the mud ball they were currently living on, to his beloved planet far away from him, to the terrifying future that was approaching closer and closer to them all, all of that seemed secondary. Meaningless. It scared him how much it could affect him.

It inevitably attracted him.

“That is quite the bold statement.” He breathed out in a whisper, slowly, comfortable under the blonde’s eyes that seemed as big as ever. “You are truly getting the hang of this ‘make up’ situations, you might be considered an expert.” It was a joke. He said it as a joke.

The blonde wasn’t laughing.

“… I don’t want it to be like that, _Krel_.” Like before, pure chills caught him. His name sounded so different through those lips. New. Perfectly new. “You always end up in the worst of situations just because I can’t control myself, and it’s not fair that you see me at my best only when I’m trying to apologize.” His eyes changed, thoughtful, distant. They stepped a little too close to the table, the music got louder around yet somehow still echoed. Like there was a silent, intense cyclone protecting them from the outside.

Raging on the outside, while in the eye of the storm they were dancing so gracefully. The prince clenched his hold on the other’s hand.

“You are not only made of anger, you know.” Seamus held back, just as strongly.

“… I didn’t mean to push you away, back in my room. I…” He laughed a little. “I’ve kinda been dreaming about that moment for a while now.” He yawned again, his eyes getting just a little lucid. Giving barely an overview of how much he must had worked on this. It melted inside the cold doubt that perhaps this was the so called one-sided. That the prince had been left dealing with strong and bothersome feelings alone. That that single moment that had meant so much for him had been just that. A moment. A lost moment.

He wanted to smile. He didn’t. The song changed again, it was low and even a little sad.

“Then what happened?” When the blonde looked at him right in the eyes, a smile so suffered it twisted his stomach, it dawned to him how silence could be as hurtful as words.

“Last time I gave all of my trust to someone very close to me it didn’t end well. And ever since then I always fear that if I rest on the laurels, I might be hurt again.” All human expressions could wait. Seamus seemed impossibly vulnerable right now. “And I know, I know I shouldn’t be influenced by what happened in the past, especially since mom hasn’t been part of my life for a long time. But I was, and I doubted you.” He took a deep breath, looking exhausted. “I’m sorry, I really am. I don’t wanna be stupid anymore, I don’t want anything get in the way ever again, especially considering how…” He smiled bashfully. “… how much I care about you.”

A balloon was in the way of their dance. It bounced delicately near their legs without them noticing.

Krel had showed much interest towards practicing his weapon. Not when Varvatos had started training Aja to be a warrior, even less before when as royals they had been forced to at least learn a few basics. Like the aim. Zadra once had hit a target so fast from so far away, the sound had come like a sonic wave. Right now it felt the same.

It unreasonably hit his core right in the middle, hard, more precise than the lieutenant with her scythe. Almost making him whimper.

“Oh, uh, I see.” Stupid human salivation system, betraying him in the worst possible moment! “You are so, huh, so… what was the correct dairy product regarding very uncomfortable moments?” Seamus snorted. The place got brighter.

“You mean cheesy? Wait, did you get embarrassed??”

“No… why are you laughing, I said no!!” Krel frowned, getting then span by the other in a loud snicker that made more stars appear. Much brighter than the ones on the wall.

“First speechless now shy, this night keeps getting better and better.” Seamus’ smile faded a little, yet still remained. “Look, I got scared back then, but honestly? I’m way more terrified at the idea of not having a chance. So I’m not going to look for excuses.” Seamus scooted closer and gently kissed his cheek. It left the warmest feeling behind, a pure impossible hot shiver through his entire being, all the way to his core. “I’m right here. With all I have to offer, your majesty.” His moves became slower, gentler, softer. Like he finally got out what he wanted.

Krel’s mind distantly felt the start of the next song, it was a sweet tune with quite the vivid rhythm. Perhaps ideal for another frenetic dance with the two of them. But they were both captured into this peaceful flow, and even as the music poked their feet into a faster movement, it was no use. Right now, they were dancing their own melody.

He couldn’t believe how happy and horrible he was feeling. His face felt unbelievably warm. His dance partner was focusing on no one but him. His core was pulsing painfully in his chest.

“… so cheesy.” He swallowed, ignoring the guilt crawling into his chest. “And sneaky.”

Seamus giggled, looking lighter, happier.

“You are in vain of compliments tonight, aren’t you? This has to be the most awkward I’ve ever seen you!” There he was, back with his mockery, even laughing as the prince was glaring holes over the wood – and squares, and triangles, all kind of shapes for Gaylen! “Weeks of listening to Mrs. Domzalski’s infinitely long stories about her nephew and her cat, all worth it just to see your face.” He laughed again, then yawned, then laughed. It seemed that hilarity was quite a powerful adrenaline producer.

He huffed, getting a step behind on his own, the blonde immediately following him still annoyingly smirking. The prince did not appreciate it the slightest.

“You talk about a dance training that has endured quite a lot, yet it seems you barely know anything besides the itchy dance and this slow style.” Letting him know how he would had gladly kept going the entire night would had not helped his argumentation right now. “Is this truly all you’ve got, you math blonde?” The challenging tone came out on its own, sometimes the prince really couldn’t control it. Especially regarding knowledge supremacy over a discipline. Especially if it involved the quite intelligent guy right in front of him.

Who went completely still, his face unreadable. It almost made Krel fear he had gone too heavy on the ‘sass’. But then an even bigger grin appeared, and Seamus brought his hand to his taller shoulder, so both of the prince’s palms were resting near his neck. A playful light shined into his blue irises as he placed his free hand over his hip, bringing him closer.

They almost brushed their noses. The blonde seemed perfectly aware. 

“I’m sorry, you were saying? Something about more tricks up my sleeve?” He smiled, although his eyes were shaking, and the tiniest veil of sweat was adorning his forehead. Like he was giving his all, without knowing the consequences. This guy could put up quite the annoyingly superior face, yet somehow had his entire bravado cover fall suddenly just like that. It was surprising sometimes… kind of adorable, too.

Krel stared at him silently, trying to calm whatever mess was agitating into his core. Realizing he didn’t really feel like getting the upper hand. He simply laced his fingers around his neck, getting even closer. Counting his freckles.

“I think I have forgotten.” Seamus held him back, moving him along the rhythm.

And the prince was there, right in the middle of the arson, feeling Seamus’ trembling hands on his hips getting less troubled and more confident. Bringing him along as they merged with the dance, so softly it barely resembled one, so close it intensely looked like one. And they kept looking at each other, then away, as it was getting more and more intense the energy pulling them together. The music was long forgotten, into the prince’s mind there were only the vague beat of a faraway land, their soft steps of the ground, and Seamus’ heart beating impossibly fast so close to him.

As their movement became automatic, and their thoughts solely on each other, Seamus started to part his lips. A few times. Like he was on the verge of talking, yet he kept rethinking it. He opened his mouth, closed it, swallowed, yawned, then all over again. Until he sighed.

“I’m trying to… dang it, this is hard, okay.” He breathed out, smiling a little. “I’m really happy I’ve got to know you. I know it wasn’t the best beginning.”

“You could say that… and you did.”

“Krel, please.” His voice was urgent, and all of the sudden the prince faced _that_ Seamus. The one who wanted nothing more but to be straightforward, sincere and authentic. Him. “I know I’m a handful, I know things get unpleasant when I’m around, but you still gave me a chance. You opened up with me with your worries, your problems, just like I did with you. I think there are things I’ve told you that no one, not even Steve or Logan know.” Mesmerizing every time, how their thoughts were so similar. “And you’re… you’re incredible, you’re… just… incredible…”

Again with the sneaky flattering… it almost distracted him from how his body was drifting.

“Whoa!” It took all the little strength the prince had in his arms – that would had not been much even if he was in his four-armed form – to grab the blonde while he was dangerously oscillating. “Alright, tell me the truth, how much have you slept in the latest delsons?” Him questioning someone regarding breaks from an important project, while he was technically in one after being most likely lead to. As Steve would had said, the ‘ironing’.

Seamus stared for a few sektons, like he was listening the question again in his head. He shook his head violently and resumed the dance with a too wide of a grin.

“I slept good.”

“That is not what I asked.”

“Don’t worry about that, I’m trying to get somewhere here! Besides, you have no idea how many times I did it before, and I still ended up being one of the best students in Arcadia Oaks High.” With that being said, he was blinking more rapidly than before. “Granted that this is not class and there’s no time for a nap during the lesson…” He laughed it up, yet he still looked quite drifting, and not as firm as before on his movements.

Krel frowned. As complimentary as it was, this guy’s devotion was starting to become worrying. Spending so much trouble and sleeping hours, and for what?… really him?

“Are you truly sure you are okay?”

“I am, promise! Careful, Mr. Logic, your soft side is showing.”

“Adequate name, since at least one of us have to think with their brain here.” The blonde just rolled his eyes, making him laugh. Maybe he did have everything under control after all, even though he looked quite pale from this close. “Perhaps you should at least lean on something?” Parlor chatters existed, and so did locker-room chatters, why not engaging a conversation with walls or chairs to have a seat? They must had seen a lot… the number of things he didn’t want to ask about Earth culture was getting drastically bigger.

Seamus widened his eyes. Again the ‘I’m thinking of something good’ look.

“… that’s actually a great idea.” Way before the usual burst of pride could hit Krel, like whenever he gave the rightful solution to a problem, everything stopped. His mind, his body, his core, as it had been moving until then. Right when he felt the blonde’s head leaning in the crook of his shoulder. “You really are a genius.” His voice echoed into his chest, deep, tired. Peaceful.

Krel shivered into the embrace, slowly closing his eyes into this pure hot mist that was enveloping him. He could barely see himself, he could barely feel himself. And he didn’t care, as they moved slowly and steadily following the faraway echo of the melody that his mind hadn’t fully erased yet. There it was, the familiar heartbeat that only those from this planet could reproduce. There it was the warmth, that unexplainable climate change that had been a constant through all of their relationship, the one that he had gotten so stubbornly attached to since the very first time.

And there it was him. Just him, beautifully him, smiling against his neck. Giving the prince the strongest shiver, as he battled his messed up feelings. So close to cry his eyes out. So close to laugh until his stomach hurt. So close to fully let go and fall asleep in that beautiful hug.

So close to him. _Finally_ close to him.

“Uhm, this… this is not what I meant.” Seamus laughed.

“You mind?”

“… no.” Krel hugged back, smiling slightly. “I do not. Do you?” 

“I happen to mind of a whole lot of things but no, not this one. Might be my favorite actually.” His hands went on his back, keeping him close, tight. “I mind other stuff. The schedule I needed to do every single week to focus on my homework when I was little for example, or how I keep seeing the lead guitarist of the Ash Dispersal Pattern around but never get there in time to ask him an autograph… not that I would take him over DJ Kleb, that’s a given.” The prince laughed, the most breathless sound came out. “… and I mind this wall. Always between us.”

Then no other sound came out.

The prince chocked a gasp against the other’s shoulder, his hands tight around his neck. Breathing in, breathing out. His scent was so close, it smelled like sweat, shampoo and effort. So much outstanding effort.

“What do you mean?” His voice was low, almost overwhelmed by the music.

“… I know you’re not always sincere with me, Krel.” The world stopped, the music disappeared once and for all. It was deadly silent around them, the prince could hear the _glow_ of his core. “I know that sometimes you choose your words, and I kinda hate that. It feels… huh… I don’t know, like you’re afraid or something. I don’t want that.” The blonde caressed his back, breathing on his neck. Krel had never felt this bad and good before. “I want you to be, uhm, _okay_, with me.”

So unexplainably funny that he had used that specific, two-syllabus word, like it came from a crazy parallel world. That had been the lowest point of acceptation. _But you’re okay_. Yet in that moment it had felt good, somehow good, being as weird as he was. 

Okay. He didn’t feel _okay_ with Seamus. It was such an understatement it was offensive.

Krel kept his eyes wide, with his forehead pressed over the blonde’s shirt. Warming him with his presence. Just that claw into his chest was preventing him to fully enjoy this.

“… _Seamus_?” He felt the blonde shiver, then smile against his neck, humming softly in response. “It is not something easy to tell. It might… it will change the way you see me, irreversibly, and I fear that. I don’t want you to look at me-” _Weird_. “Differently.” Just the acknowledgement that there was indeed something made him feel a lot better. His core was lighter, and like every single time he questioned why it had taken him so long to talk. Secrets were safer, but not healthier. And he could let them out. Finally be free from such a burden.

He had postponed this so many times already. It could be over like this, right now.

Yet… yet why did it feel wrong? Like he was, once again, making up excuses for the situation? Why it seemed like this wasn’t the real reason behind his silence? If not Seamus’ opinion, his vision of the prince like it had always been, then what?

The blonde laughed, sinking more into the embrace. Taking his breath away.

“Can’t see the bad in this, really. Even if it’s a little uneven competition, I like seeing you being good in so many things. Makes me wonder what you’re hiding from me.” His hands climbed slowly onto his back, one finger accompanied by one soft snicker, like it amused him greatly how the prince was clinging onto him. “Whatever it is, I’ll just have another Krel to discover, like every time you tell me something new about you. It’s always a good thing.” He slumped a little over him, taking more space, stealing more of his will.

And Krel saw nothing else. Nothing of this beautiful place, of the splendid suit of his tired partner, of his arms crossed around him, holding as much as he could. As close as he could. Because this is what he wanted.

He wanted this. _And he didn’t_.

“Seamus?” Words kept going back and forward, he was dying to say it. He needed to confess. But his core was screaming not to. Why? “I am…” Why?? “I’m a-”

“Krel… I like…” Words died from the prince’s lips, his sight was black, his mind was empty. His entire world revolved around this moment and this one only. “… I… like…” Seamus breathed in, breathed out, humming softly against his ear. Worries and doubts disappeared, and all that mattered was waiting for this. “… I like _you_r… tail…”

“… tail?” Krel blinked the dizziness. “Are you talking about my hair- Whoa, wait, what-” Suddenly the weight over him became pressing, heavier. Too heavier. “What are you…?? Seamus!!!” With the sudden surprising dead weight he found himself tripping and fall onto the ground – cursing this blonde’s firm built, needing full force that he miserably lacked of. “Ouch! What the klebso are you thinking of doing, you math…!!” From the body completely abandoned over him, still holding him loosely like he couldn’t quite let go, an unmistakable snore came out. “… kleb, for real?”

Asleep. The guy he had feelings for, that had prepared this night specifically to apologize and show his best, had passed out for exhaustion in between of him telling the truth about himself and the blonde possibly confessing something extremely important about them.

Clearly Gaylen didn’t like the prince much in that period.

He managed to get the blonde off of him, getting on his knees and covering his boiling cheeks with his hands. This situation felt unreal, it did the moment he had stepped his foot on this Akiridion styled environment and it was now that he was looking at the guy sleeping on the floor. With his combed hair a little messier, the circles around his eyes more evident than ever, his soft snoring, the little droll on his cheek… 

The prince couldn’t help it but giggle. So much effort, this guy was truly a hard worker. Stubborn until the very end, for what he thought to be important.

He took him by the shoulders and slowly dragged him to the wall, so he could at least stay seated and not on the cold ground. The music had stopped, maybe the tape had ended. They were surrounded solely by the quiet buzzing of the lights, still moving around, silently changing into the room. But it was still quite dark.

Like space, from a certain point. Or the sky on Akiridion-5, was not enveloped by something similar to the terrestrial atmosphere. It was curious, a human could confidently tell that, thinking about the sky, that there was an infinite colorful surface, most commonly blue. For him it was different, it was all about the space, the obscurity of a planet built based on technology and energy-based lifeforms. His idea of sky was different, his idea of a person, of home. And the guy here, this close, his life was all upside down from his point of view. They were… different. Very different after all. Maybe even too much.

The prince stiffened, as the blonde’s head fell on his shoulder. He swallowed, turning enough to see him still peacefully asleep. He even grabbed his shirt, mumbling something against his neck. The tone was low, yet the meaning felt clear. Evident.

“Stay…” Soft, pleading. So unusual from him, yet adequate for him.

Krel tried to look away, but all effort failed and all of the sudden the blonde was shifting, falling unceremoniously on his lap. There was no wince, no sign that the unaware sleeper had actually felt it. He just breathed out a little more strongly, then resumed to his nap. The engineer froze. He tried to think about the probability calculus. He considered the percentage of this moment actually happening. He even thought about combining Claxon 38th theorem regarding the fourth dimension, as this was perhaps a parallel world. Yet nothing truly came up.

Seriously, Gaylen must had hated him or something.

He whimpered quietly, looking uncomfortably at the situation he was currently in. What was the human procedure when the guy you are quite interested in fall asleep on you? He sure had no idea what was the Akiridion equivalent, never before he would had thought of finding himself into this situation. Certainly not with someone, in general.

With him, specifically. A special him.

Seamus turned his head a little, his hair was all riled up on one side of his head. The prince snorted, bringing little by little a hand over it. Dealing with earthlings’ hair had always seemed such a weird concept to him, they were far different from the ramification of lights that he possessed in his original form. It had never appeared like an appealing trait – also according to some tiny humans there was a dark side called ‘cooties’ he was not sure he wanted to discover. But perhaps it was the special softness of his, not quite fluffy as Luug’ terrestrial fungus, but the furthest thing from the rough fuzz of a hairy larvox. Or maybe it was just… it was because it was his.

Krel eyed him tenderly. Never before someone’s figure had brought so much peace into him.

“You deserve a bit of rest after all.” He kept petting him, amazed on how the blonde would gently lean into his touch. “You deserve this… and the truth.” The prince sighed, eyes casually focused on the boy’s freckles, so vivid right now on Seamus’ unusually pale skin. “You really do.” After all of this, it was clear, was it not? This person was remarkable, trustworthy. He could tell him.

… why didn’t he?

It was so dark in there, it was so dark out there. There was no way to know how much time had passed, and it didn’t bother him. It was the last thing in his mind. He simply kept stroking his hair slowly, almost curiously, while the world stayed still while moving around the two of them. 

A louder hum shook the prince from that pleasant stasis. He took away his hand to see the blonde tightening his eyelids, stirring slowly, before finally opening one eye. It was quite red still, and definitely lost. Confused, and very sleepy looking – _soft_. Seamus frowned, staring at him persistently like he couldn’t quite understand who he was. Or what was happening. Until he extended a hand and reached a lock of his brown hair, gently moving it.

Krel smiled. His blues eyes suddenly brightened.

“Wait, what?” An awkward little laugh.

“Good morning… or is it goodnight? What is the correct salute when you are welcoming a person after waking up, but it is in fact the late horvath?” No answer, just the confused blue look still on himself. “Living on a planet with cyclic solar horvaths is very bothersome.” Less than being on a land conquered by a crazy dictator though.

Seamus kept blinking at him, his lucid eyes slowly adjusting at the situation. Only to suddenly jolt in sitting position, pressing himself against the wall with pure flaming red on his face.

“What the…?? How did…?? What happened here?!?”

“… I think I’ll go with welcome back, so welcome back. Although you didn’t physically return from somewhere…”

“Okay, not helping here!” He cleared his voice, passing a hand between his hair. “We were- I mean… how did I end up on the floor?” He gasped. “Did I dip too much and tripped? It can’t be, it only happened once, and only because I was wearing Mrs. Domzalski’s slippers!” Silence followed. The blonde seemed on the point of setting some kind of record, at least regarding how adorably – no, embarrassingly… who was he kidding, adorably – his face was lighting up of red glows. “… I take that’s a no.”

Krel laughed a little, crossing his legs, feeling somehow amiss the weight of the blonde’s head on his lap. It was shamefully nice, admitting to himself how the loss of such a meaningless thing was affecting him. This night he felt like letting his thoughts loose.

“Well, we were dancing indeed, but you seemed quite fatigued.”

“Oh yeah, we did the rumba, we were slow dancing, then we got closer and it’s… kinda blurry from there…” A pinch of guilty relief caught him. “… wait, fatigued? I’m not tired to the point of… oh. Oh no.” His eyes widened, realization dawned to him as he brought his hands onto his head. “No. No no no, no no, please tell I didn’t! Please tell I didn’t do that!!” He grabbed him by the shoulders, shaking him, the very familiar panicking expression on his face. “Tell me the truth, tell me I didn’t fall asleep!”

“… you want me to tell you the truth or that you fell asl-” A sudden, incredibly bitter laugh interrupted him, and the prince lost the other’s eyes. “Hey, what’s wrong?”

Another laugh.

“What’s wrong? You’re seriously asking me what’s wrong??” Seamus let him go, smiling, raging, the ghosts of tears at the angle of his painfully tired eyes. “Me!! I’m what’s wrong! It’s always been like that since we’ve known each other, and the one night I was supposed to show you how much it means to me that you’ve stayed, I pass out! What’s wrong with me??”

The prince tried to scoot closer, putting a hand on his shoulder.

“You have overworked yourself, it is not you fault… well, it is, but not… uhm…” Where was Aja with her motivational speeches when needed? “I can understand the need to-”

“No, you can’t just say that!!” The sudden tone put an end to their precedent serene atmosphere. But the blonde didn’t look angry, he looked just ashamed. “Why is that, whenever I try to do something nice for a change, it always ends up with a disaster, a migraine, and me wondering how long until you realize what you’ve gotten yourself into and leave?” He sighed, rubbing his eyes too fast before something could be seen. “I hate this… I hate this so much, you don’t deserve all of this mess! You should be with someone that doesn’t always get angry, that has a normal relationship with their parents! Someone caring, dependable, one that can look at you in the eyes and say _I like you_ without having to put together this ‘great’ night just because he was too scared of…!” His eyes widened. So did Krel’s.

The lights were projecting all over them, drawing abstract pictures.

It felt just like with the audio message. A pure explosion of feelings, so intensely awful and beautiful, with doubts, confusion and fear, alimented then suddenly blown away by that light. Krel beamed at him, dizzy from his pulsing core, relieved that this was actually real.

“I like you too.” Seamus gasped, his eyes brightening. Then he sighed.

“And I blew up the confession too. I would like to say I can’t believe this, but I do.” He scooted away, back against the wall, his elbow on his knee. “I ruin everything, I blow up everything. I can’t believe I even thought I could make you happy.” His core responded. “I mean, I wanna be with you, I really do! But I’m so much trouble, and I can hardly control my- Oh.”

Nice to see that even in his self-deprecation, his off button was just a hug. Simple, but effective.

It wasn’t like Krel, being this openly affectionate. Nor this audacious, really. The prince thought that he really didn’t care about acting like ‘his usual self’, like that had some kind of meaning at this point. The prince from Akiridion-5 that despised old time technology, that was not at ease with other people, that never had someone to care about at this point. That person was hiding his nose into the crook of this guy’s shoulder, holding him around the neck for dear life. Nothing else mattered besides this warmth. He felt like he was entitled now, to look for that sensation every time he wanted. Feeling Seamus’ hands holding him back was just another confirmation.

He smiled, laughed even, because Seamus was talking so dumbly about the situation, and it was a very familiar condition. The prince felt smarter, more knowledgeable about the situation. In charge and under control, because this he knew and this he was going to share.

“First of all, you did not blow up a thing. It would require explosive for it, and I am fairly sure it is illegal in this place.” A snort. He could make him laugh, somehow. Just him.

“I can’t tell anymore if you’re still this literal, or you’re just messing with me.”

“Keep guessing, Mr. honorary student.” Another little laugh.” Second… you truly are an unexplainable, unpredictable being, and no matter how much you celebrate your intelligence, you seem very far away from the concept of rationality right now.” He backed away, slowly, letting his hands slide to his shoulders, then through his arms in a caress. “As to say, you keep working hard to make sure I have a good time. You always had, ever since we had started to go out together. But I’m… not supposed to.” The first words were already out. Even if he wanted to, he would had not been able to take it back. And he really didn’t want to.

Seamus was absolutely enchanted by every single movement of his, following with his eyes, responding readily. When their hands found each other he found very easy intertwine their fingers, clenching them a little too strongly but vividly.

“What are you talking about?”

Krel sighed. This place was beautiful, the reminiscence of home was unmistakable. But as much as that was a bringer of good memories, it was also giver of terrible past events to his mind. 

“We ran away, Seamus. My home has been submitted under the dictatorship of an cruel general, that wants nothing more but to hurt my family. We have been forced to escape to save ourselves, and even as far away as we are now we are not as safe as we’ve hoped.” He looked down, at their united hands, at them. _Them_. “We are trying desperately to fit in, to find our place, and at the beginning I have only managed to become ‘the weirdo’.”

Mesmerizing that that same guy was here now, looking so sorry for everything.

“Krel-” The prince grabbed his shoulder to stop him.

“Let me finish, please.” He took a deep breath, a weak smile on his face. Because he didn’t know with what strength he was talking, and didn’t want to risk losing it. “This world we live in, that we are hiding in, was supposed to be just a hideout. A passing through, one casual place to wait in until our home was going to be free again. I knew it was going to be hard, I knew being fine wasn’t going to be a priority, or even a possibility. Then…” Again he crossed his eyes. Nothing else. Nothing felt this magnetic and attractive. No physics law. No scientific explanation.

The blonde stared back, a smile finally taking form on his face. His finger was tracing gentle and reassuring patterns on the back of his hand.

“Then?” Krel sighed happily, the weight fell from his core.

“Then I realized I am here with my family. And while I do wish we were not as broken as we came out from this, I know we are stronger than ever before.” Aja’s warrior spirit, Varvatos’ stronger than ever loyalty, Zadra’s new approach to humans, even Luug’s new friend was a development. Then Mother, the Blanks, Stuart, so many new additions. A much larger family. “I have started to trust others, I realized there are people out there that are ready to fight with us, for us.” Steve, Eli, Toby, Darci, Mary, the other guys at school, the teachers. So many humans, unaware yet filled with valor. “I have friends, I actually have some. That is something I never had before.” Because even though he had never admitted it to anyone, not his parents, perhaps not even Aja, he had never fitted. Not here, not back home. And it didn’t matter. “And I have you.”

It felt like a shock, and he was quick to retract his hand. Looking away, finding an escape, even though he was absolutely sure that, for once, his core and his mind were on the same page. There was no escape, his body wasn’t going to move an inch from here. His entire being had already decided what he wanted.

The hold clenched, he could feel the blue pressing on him.

“Krel?” The questioning tone was so slim, it felt more like a call. A plea.

The prince swallowed, forcing his body to stay still, even though it winced when the blonde shifted. He kept his head down, but blindly leaned forward, bumping softly against his chest. Warm. He wanted this warm. He wanted _this_.

“I wasn’t supposed to be fine here, in this place. Yet I am, thanks to my family, the people I met, my friends. And you. Because you make me happy, Seamus.” It flew to the ceiling, that reveal as light as air, leaving so beautifully his lips. Tracing stars, becoming stars, as it seemed to be the only rational reason for his entire self to be absolutely on fire. Relief. Confusion. Fear. Joy. Fused and separated and fused together again, in sequence into his core while pushing one another to get the first place into his mind.

All of them, losers, at the end. Right now, there could be only one person there.

He gulped at the touch, the finger slowly raising his chin. Meeting those eyes charmed in pure awe gave him a familiar feeling of necessity. Of expectation. Seamus swallowed, hard, it reverberated all the way to his finger. His irises were astonishing. His lips were-

“I really wanna kiss you right now.” It felt so adequate yet so sudden the prince almost didn’t hear it, with the blonde waiting. His pupils trembling. His hand shaking.

Krel breathed out, slowly and vividly, hoping to have enough breath for words to come out.

“I wouldn’t…” Instantaneous the change into the blonde, from shock, to shame, to absolute regret as he retracted his hand. The prince immediately took it, pressing it against his cheek with a shy smile. “… mind that.” Again, it shifted from his eyes, evolving between them two. Physics, science, chemistry, astronomy even. Disciplines, branches, so many explanations could be given for how their faces got steadily closer and the world stopped mattering around them.

For once, pure blind and irrational fate felt like his favorite.

The prince closed his eyes almost right away. Waiting. Hoping that this warmth was going to stay. That the blonde wasn’t going to leave again. His eyelids were flickering, the time absolutely meaningless around. He didn’t know how, he didn’t know when, he didn’t know _if_, he didn’t-

Another hand covered his exposed cheek, and against his better judgement he opened his eyes. Seamus hadn’t even moved, he was looking at him. Admiring him? He still couldn’t quite put how adoration or devotion could look like on someone’s face. Being a royal was not enough to erase what made him too different from his peeps. Being Aja’s sister made it a terrible combination. Yet the blonde was there, studying his face. Smiling, all the way to his beautiful eyes, as if there was truly no other creature in the universe like him.

Krel smiled back, because he was here. He pushing him away. Their eyes melted, never leaving each other, not until they were so close they could barely distinguish their figures. He was guided, slowly, to the point there was no room to stay separated anymore, no excuse to run away or hide. Nothing, absolutely nothing, outside the prince’s overwhelmed hand weakly grabbing the other’s loose shirt. As he kissed the guy that he had loosely met at school. The guy that had bothered him so much in the past, and had slowly and steadily made up for everything. The one that was doing his best to be a better person, that was so smart, so stubborn, so beautiful. The one that, one delson at the time, one encounter after the other, had managed to drag him into this.

Into this terribly wholesome world of affection and warmth.

A shiver of adrenaline burnt into his chest. His entire world felt like shining through lightkeltons in space. His lips were so careful and messy, just like him. Exactly like him. So incredibly like him. When they parted, slowly and softly and with their eyes suddenly wide open, Seamus was absolutely beaming. And it was a sight.

“Wow.” He breathed, his eyes softening.

Krel blinked, trying to catch up with how his mind had turned off on him. Having care to record this moment, this situation, one of Seamus’s hand still on his cheek. How all of the sudden everything seemed much clearer.

“Huh.” Seamus’ smile fell right away, his hand disappeared.

“Really? That bad?”

“No, not at all, just…” The prince barely noticed the blonde’s frantic look on him, lost in his thoughts. In his… well, analysis. “It was a surprise. Looking at Steve and Aja, I’ve always thought this was going to be very disgusting.”

The blonde blinked. Twice. Then burst into laughter.

“What??”

“I mean, there is the overlapping of tongues, and it is all operated through the oral cavity that is involved into the food digestion.” Krel grimaced, having witnessed the affectionate event from the Staja way too much – apparently privacy wasn’t exactly into the Palchuk’s vocabulary. “And this without including the exchange of liquids…”

“Dude, no! Stop! I don’t wanna hear it!” Seamus covered his mouth full of giggles, and the prince couldn’t help feel the lighter mood influence him as well. It was not hard, not after this. “… what about now, then?” The blonde scooted closer, placing a hand on his. Looking like he was genuinely curious, but impatient as well. “What is your conclusion?” He delicately brushed the tip of their noses together, keeping him close, so close.

Krel couldn’t help but adore everything about it. It felt free, achieved. A prize, even. He bit his lip, placing his hands on his shoulders.

“It was… fascinating. And surprisingly complex too. Quite like an equation really, as the parts matter only to a certain extent. It is the result, that matters.” He looked at him with the sole intent of getting lost into his eyes. Possibly never coming back from. “So much less about you and me, and so much more about… us.”

They were still sitting on the floor, in a building where one of them was supposed to be working in, possibly not allowed at entertaining each other with whatever kind of party meeting was happening there. Rationality didn’t quite reach him, neither of them.

Seamus sighed, ecstatic. Never looking away from him. Never let his eyes shine any less.

“I wanna kiss you again.” Krel smiled, scooting closer.

“I’d like that.” He barely had time to talk before he was held close one more time. And it felt comforting, safe, finally protected from everything and everyone else. Between his warm strong arms, and his lovely rough lips.

In that mighty building of astronomy – filled with scarily embarassing theories about the extraterrestrial –, it seemed that they had been floating in space since forever, thousands of lightkeltons away from there. This place was notoriously dark, it was minimal, simple. It had nothing special, especially the corridor he had passed through to get to the main room. But while walking the way back, holding Seamus’ hand so warm against his, it was different. Intriguing, peaceful, mysterious. Enchanting even. Everything felt incredibly fascinating around him.

A giggle left his lips by betrayal, he bit it down as soon as he could. This lightheaded attitude felt so foreign to him, it didn’t suit him. Sweet Seklos if he cared.

But then Seamus huffed near him, a familiar frustrated frown in his face.

“I can’t believe this.” Krel looked at him, unbelieving.

“Are you serious?” The blonde kept pouting. “What could have possibly bothered you in the five mekrons we have decided to get up and walk to the entrance?? Please, enlighten me!!”  Huh. Creepy. This guy’s signature bad mood was starting to rub on him.

Seamus gave him an eye, stared upfront, then sighed.

“Nothing, it’s not major. I just can’t believe I’m not walking you home, that’s basic date code right there. I mean-” He stopped, a few feet away from the door, his cheeks puffed in red. “… what kind of person doesn’t walk his _boyfriend_ home after a date like this?” Although it was probably easier for him to just keep his bad mood on, the way his mouth seemed to inevitably gravitate towards the sky said overwise regarding his actual mood.

Right. That was them, wasn’t it?

Funny, that word had always been the source of so much mocking material regarding his sister’s companion – at least before that turned out to be what humans like to call a ‘softie’. Yet it sank for the both of them right there, in the middle of the corridor, under one of the flickering white light on the ceiling. It was barely a compound word after all, another proof of what earthlings’ seemed to so proudly call ‘creativity’. A friend who happened to be a boy. It didn’t seem quite fitting after all.

Earth incoherency had never sounded better. Krel snickered again, turning to face his frowny partner right on cue. He passed his hand near his forehead, gently shifting a lock of blonde hair under his surprised eyes.

“Perhaps the kind that still has a job connected to this environment, and wouldn’t like to risk further his luck by leaving the place after decorating it so vividly.” He crossed his arms over his chest, seeing the blonde smiling again. “I believe I would prefer my boyfriend to still contribute to this planet’s economy, no matter how lovely a walk together might sound.”

The blonde laughed, joyfully, brightly, taking him gently between his arms.

“I wouldn’t mind that, yeah.” He seemed very reluctant at the idea of letting him go. “Are you sure you’ll be okay on your own? I can follow just in case.” It made this moment even more important.

“Not to worry, it is not that far away. Also last apocalypse has taken at least twenty mekrons of this city’s time, I will be home fairly earlier.” They giggled together, happy. Close. That new step was big and undeniable at that point. His first big step, in fact… Krel looked down, fingers slowly clenching around the cloth of the blonde’s shirt. “I am new to all of this, I have never experienced it before. So I might need help for…” How to address this without sounding pathetic?

Too late, Seamus was already smirking so annoyingly widely.

“Ho-ho, so there is something the great Krel Tarron doesn’t know everything about. This might be the most important discovery ever made by science!” He laughed as the prince shoved him, taking the chance to grab his hand and move him forward. “Well, if I’m really going to be your romance teacher, I think we could start with the basics. Something quick before you go back home, but still appropriate for the situation.” They walked to the entrance, the chill air shook them.

Krel ignored the still dark sky, the incorrect planet statue, the world waiting outside of this. He scooted closer and tinted his head.

“What is it?”

“Well, we call it… goodnight kiss.” This blonde was too used to this skeptic looks at this point, he seemed more challenged than ever. “Hey, it’s true! Absolute rule, it’s super rude if you don’t give it, cross my heart!” Could be a circle or a triangle, still seemed quite suspicious. Or perhaps it was Steve’s influence. There was a reason they were friends after all.

Ah, did it really matter? The prince shook his head, grinning.

“You truly are one sneaky math blonde.” And he gave in, both of his hands between his, the blonde smiling softly before leaning. Feeling the same exploding feeling preparing into his chest, as he felt Seamus’ breath brushing his lips again.

He almost closed his eyes right there. He might had missed it then.

The glow. Getting used to his human figure was one thing, it did not erase the natural perception of his real body. Especially when in a dark night like that, it was the most evident thing. Krel gasped, looking at his translucent arms slowly redrawn into longer and multiple limbs, his elegant clothes getting less consistent and his body, _him_, fading away like it never existed. He asked himself what, how, why, then it dawned to him.

Him admiring his new look into his room. Imagining the blonde’s reaction. Carelessly leaving his weapon, his portable transduction, on the nightstand.

The boy in front of him was waiting with his eyes closed, smiling like nothing was wrong.

And… and nothing was wrong, right? He did say that he was going to tell him, he even tried it before. _No_. The blonde deserved the truth, they were too close not to. _Not now_. He knew he wasn’t going to mind, that he was going to accept him. _Not like this_. He could even just show him, no explanation needed. Just the truth. _No_. The truth. _No!!_

“… where… Krel? Wait, Krel!!”

How could the voice that had sparkled so many feelings in him, igniting right now only the most unpleasant ones? The prince hoped, prayed, as he ran away as fast as he could, that the blonde wasn’t going to follow. That he wanted to keep his job, and was going to ignore that little act and go back to watch over planetary stuff. Because the prince couldn’t deal with this. No matter how much clearer and free from obstacles the road seemed to be right now, no matter how free was the fall he so wanted to launch himself into: something was keeping him away still, pressing his mouth shut like it was the secret to save the entire universe.

Krel didn’t know where he was going, he just looked over his shoulder once. No one following. Good. Maybe. He sighed, slowing down, taking out Aja’s hoverboard at full speed. The city was sleeping, as foreign and far away as he had seen it in the first march. But far more sinister. The music store, Stuart’s shop, the place where he went on his dates.

Everything seemed to want him away.

As soon as he got closer to the center, the familiar view darkened by the night, he went straight into one of the alleys he was most familiar with. He stepped off the hoverboard before it was off, stumbling and almost tripping on the ground. The device shut down, and he fell on his knees. The floor was cold. He might had noticed it already, that one time he was almost sniped to death. Just another one of his unusual events of his unusual life.

Unusual. _Weird_. Dangerous.

His eyes fell on his hands. All four of them. Having four arms was the characteristic of a royal, a symbol of prestige and honor. Something his parents had always taught him to be proud of, as it was a privilege of few. It had never, never felt this lonely. The constant reminder that no matter what beats he was going to play, no matter the inventions he was going to create, no matter how many time he was going to save Earth in the future, _this_ was him. The fugitive prince of a far planet, that had brought so much danger along with him.

And this wasn’t who Seamus had kissed tonight.

Krel touched his lips without realizing.  Just the reminder could blossom into his core such soft ecstasy, as the memory alone could make him feel better. But the warmth for once wasn’t enough to push away all the bad he was feeling. And it wasn’t going to stop anytime soon, he knew. Running away. This wasn’t how a king acted. This wasn’t how he wanted to act either.

He stayed there, hugging his knees close to his chest. S niffing, rubbing his humid eyes, his chocked sobs echoing in the alley. Mekrons ago he had felt like the happiest Akiridion that had ever lived. 

Well played, Earth’s impeccable improbability. Well played.

After he had convinced himself that this was enough, he took a deep breath. Finally putting his brain into action, as it seemed it had been ages since he had relied on his powerful friend. In the rush of the moment he had meant to run back home all at once, but now he understood the silliness of his mind. On his own, without transduction, completely unharmed in such a lonely horvath,? He might as well had written ‘bounty hunters’ pry’ on his forehead. No, not on his own.

He took out his phone, thinking, while the night moved around him, and the world went back to its normal course. Aja was the obvious choice, but he could had gone with Toby as well, or Eli and Steve, they were closer. Or Stuart really, just to have some kind of backup in case-

Three missed calls. ‘Math blonde’.

_ “Are you sure you’ll be okay on your own? I can follow just in case.”  _ He had sounded sincere, genuinely caring and ready to go with him. Absurd.__

“How to explain the problem with that proposal, without scaring you?” The mere thought made him shiver. The prince caressed the device, right as another call started. It made him snort, as one heavy tear escaped. “So stubborn.” It showed a pic of them as his avatar, the one the blonde had taken while they had been waiting for their orders at the bakery. He had put an arm around him, startling the prince, that had managed to smile in time only because it was him. _Him_.

The prince swallowed, his thumb hovering on the accept button. What to say then? What to explain? The truth? Another lie? Both horrible. Both wrong, so wrong in his head.

The call arrival ended, between his infinite sadness and relief, only to start once again. The light of the phone was barely high, and it would had not been necessary anyway with his energy-based luminous body. But for him, so used to the sight of his own glow, it was so dark around him. Terrifying. Hostile. Nothing he could trust, not with the truth, not with anything else. This could had ended very badly. Humans could had seen him, bounty hunters, Morando’s spies even. And he would had been innocently unaware, clinging onto this human, letting himself go with what his core desired. He couldn’t be this distracted anymore.

The wormhole. Morando. Akiridion-5. Those were his priorities. The only ones.

And even if his lips were burning of things left unsaid, even when his pride was screaming the injustice of his decision. Even when his entire being knew that he wasn’t being sincere, not to Seamus, not to _himself_, about why he couldn’t bring himself to include him and finally tell the truth, he didn’t listen.

He let another tear fall, and pressed the deny button.

BONUS

“-You have: 10, new messages.-”

“-Hi, it’s me, I just wanted to make sure you were okay. Did I scare you? The goodnight kiss is not that fundamental if you don’t want it, I wanna go at a pace we’re both comfortable at. But if… there’s something else you wanna tell me, I’ll listen. I _wanna_ listen. Just so you know, heh. Alright, well, see you soon, I had a blast tonight. I can’t wait to see you again.-”

“-Funny story, apparently I didn’t manage to wipe away all the fluorescent paint from the wall, and my superior? He’s kinda looking for a major job into astronomy as well and now he’s obsessed, he’s absolutely sure that that’s some kind of phosphorescent resin created by the rock moon that got broken during the latest break in. I don’t have the heart to tell him the truth, especially since I’m pretty sure it wouldn’t look good for my evaluation… anyway, there’s that. I can tell you more if you wanna… you know, hang out. Whenever you want, call me.-”

“-Heeey, Domzalski finally let me saw a part of your movie after umpteenth time I asked! Not bad, I actually saw sci-fi films with way less care about special effects, eheh. And you’re… wow, how did you get your hands on a costume like that? I know we weren’t together when you got casted, but I kinda feel like you got the coolest form you could find just to mess with me. And now I’m gonna watch a movie with my boyfriend playing as a hot alien DJ. That’s messed up, you’re messed up, Krel Tarron, my heart can take that much. You want to go to the premiere together? We can organize, call me when you can. I really can’t wait!-”

“-Hello there, it’s Seamus… I mean, you know it’s me, you have my number and everything and- Ah, whatever, I just wanted to check in. Just this. So… bye.-”

“-Hello!! First, how’s going, boy you’re really busy right now! Second of all, you might not believe this but I was walking through the center and I saw a purple… monster, dog thing, on one taco track, drooling all the way as it was driving through Delancey Street. So, granted that that’s not the weirdest thing that had ever hit Arcadia, that was crazy? Makes me wanna get a pet… don’t judge me, okay? You have a dog, I can get inspiration from whatever I want! Besides my weird obsessions for creatures of unknown origins, uhm, I hope you’re doing okay. So… see you.-”

“-So apparently you know the guy that works at Stuart Electronics? I didn’t know that, but you must be close because when he saw me he told me out of the blue that you’re very busy in this period and not to worry… which kinda worries me, eheh, since, uhm, you haven’t really answered my calls. Or messages… I’m not, look, I don’t wanna be the overbearing suffocating boyfriend, but I’m getting a little frustrated here. Just… just call me back when you can, okay?-”

“-Not to be the jealous type… although I kinda am a bit, but your grandpa and Mrs. Domzalski were walking through the park arm-in-arm looking lovingly at each other? I honestly took for granted it was a family thing whatever was going on, but apparently you’re the only one reclused. I don’t… I’m not gonna judge you like that, okay, I just wouldn’t really mind knowing what’s going on! If it’s not too much to ask, your majesty!… ugh, just call me back okay?-”

“-Would you mind explaining why Steve, Domzalski and Pepperjack knows what’s going on and apparently talk to you on regular basis while I’m leaving message after message without getting an answer? Is this another dang secret, Krel??-”

“-Did I do something wrong? If I did tell me, I’m sorry! Just call me, dang it!!-”

“-… you know what? I’m done waiting. I hope you’re home right now, I’m coming over. Whenever you like it or not.-”

_ “He’s here! He’s here! General Morando… is on Earth.” _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So turns out, I like making my favorite characters suffer ^^"  
Okay, a few little things. First of all, Mother's quote from the wise human is a phrase of Nelson Mandela regarding fear. The flowers Krel got along with the irises are white peonies, a flower that represents shame, great to apologize. Also Bella's is an actual shop in Arcadia, I'm basically building up all of Logan's family backstory XD  
This is a chapter I thought about A LOT, you have no idea how much it has changed. It's a big step for these two, as we enter a pretty important part of the fic. I had a lot of thinking about Krel's point of view, this is a very new situation for him so yeah, problems ^^" The last line of the chapter is a quote from Luug's Day Out, so the situation is as tricky as you think. How will Kreamus play out from now on? You'll see... ;)  
These following chapters will all have a music reference at the beginning, that somehow is related to what will happen. Those are songs that I listened to a lot while planning the fic, not necessarily for all the lyrics but a lot for the mood, so if you wanna have a look at them and see what's in my brain be my guests. Might be a little messy ^^"  
Thank you so much for all of your love and support, especially from the last chapter! ^///^ So many kudos and beautiful comments, you guys are absolutely amazing! *u*
> 
> Well then, we'll see each other next chapter. Not gonna lie, things are about to get a lot more complicated...  
Thanks for reading! Leave a comment, a kudos, a wormhole generator or FART! *gets teleported away*  
See ya!! Byee!! ^ ^
> 
> P.S. Let me know if there are errors, also EARLY AUGUST!! WIZARDS!! Only one month left, after waiting almost a full year it's going to happen. So excited!!! <3


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